Russian-Montrealers targets of hate due to war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has left many Russian-Quebecers facing the ramifications of the invasion – through hate speech both online and in-person. Montrealers saying they were targeted and ridiculed. Adding that there’s no place for this in Canada.

“It’s too bad, and this is what I expected, actually when the war started,” said Lev Chif, editor of the Russian-speaking community newspaper of Montreal, ‘Meeting place-Montreal.’ “Many people don’t understand the difference between the Putin’s regime and Russian speaking people.”

“We received [a] message from somebody we don’t know, nobody from the team met him before,” said Igor Tchiniaev, a professional figure skating coach and the manager of Montreal Russians adult hockey team, who came to Canada 23 years ago.

He says the team’s Facebook page received multiple messages from a stranger all saying in French to go back home and “shame on you and your people, go back to Russia.”

“No matter the politics of the world, harassment and hateful comments [are] not acceptable.”

Tchiniaev is not alone. CityNews received an email from a viewer who didn’t feel safe speaking out publicly, but wanted us to know their story.

The person immigrated from Russia 20 years ago and said that Canada is their home and Canadians their people – but ever since the invasion, they too are devastated for Ukrainian families and feel incredibly guilty even if they didn’t decide to go to war. Adding that they hear people expressing their hatred, wishing them death.

This person telling CityNews that at a local arena recently, a young skater ran out of the locker-room when they heard them speaking Russian to their child – and then other children started calling them names and cursing at them.

Just last week the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) canceled performances by Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, who previously spoke out openly against the invasion.

READ MORE: Montreal symphony orchestra cancels Russian pianist’s performances

“All the contracts with the Russian artists, Russian singers, now cut. But I might even expect if [they had] some contacts with [Putin’s regime],” explained Chif.
“It’s nothing with war, […] music, dance, sport has to bring positive mind, positive things for the people to make life more beautiful,” said Tchiniaev.

“It seems to show that there’s a wider pressure to push everything that’s Russia on the side during the crisis for fear of backlash or hate speech, hate crimes,” said Louis Audet Gosselin, scientific and strategic director, Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence.

“This is unfortunately pretty common. And the thing with discrimination and hate, it doesn’t differentiate between individuals. It’s portraying a whole community negatively without seeing nuances.”

“Any hate is unacceptable, to any nations, to any people, to any gender, and so we live in such a country that it’s not acceptable,” said Chif.