histories

The “Multan case”, initiated in 1892, took its place among numerous false accusations of blood libel and once again demonstrated how the Russian Empire treats ethnic minorities. Accused of the ritual murder of a Russian peasant, the Udmurts endured torture and spent several years in prison until, thanks to the intervention of human rights activists and wide publicity, they received a well-deserved acquittal. In addition to interrogation methods inherited by today's Russia, an ethnographer approaching his work from pro-imperial position also played an essential role in the prosecution.

Beda & Feminist Translocalities present to you Valdo's text, in which he traces the history of the Erzya, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia's Volga region, from the beginning of the 12th century subjected to brutal colonization, forced russification and attempts to erase their culture. Who are the Erzyas and how did Erzyan Mastor survive colonization by the Russian empire, the Soviet Union and modern Russia?