Blacky candidate from Volgograd Region hopes to "cure" racism in local residents

In Russia, where the count of racially-motivated crimes is on a rapid rise, same as the army of skinheads, the decision of black-skinned Joachim Krima to run for a duma deputy of the Sredneakhtuba District of the Volgograd Region has caused a stormy interest. Along with solution of domestic problems of his fellow villagers, the candidate is ready, if elected to the local government, to overcome the racism, so deeply rooted in the consciousness of local residents.

According to Galina Kozhevnikova, deputy director of the Analytical Centre "Sova", which is studying the problems of nationalism and xenophobia, "the level of racism in Russia is frightening." "We have no data from Volgograd, but, according to unofficial information, the situation there is not so good," she said.

Let us remind you that Joachim Krima, a native of Guinea-Bissau, submitted his documents to the territorial electoral commission of the Sredneakhtuba District, willing to run for a deputy of District Duma. Mr Krima is a self-nominated candidate, but in his application he noted that he is a member of the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party. He has a rival - Filipp Kondratiev, also of African origin. According to some sources, he was nominated by local administration with the aim to take away voices from Krima who is gaining popularity.

The Guardian writes that Joachim Krima, a promising politician, who grows water-melons and is fond of Vladimir Putin, is respected by his fellow villagers, who live in the south of Russia, and differs from his neighbours in one thing only - he is black-skinned.

According to Krima himself, going to Russia was his dream since childhood. He married an Armenian and settled in the Sredneakhtuba District near Volgograd, as the "Kommersant" writes.

On revenues from selling water-melons Mr Krima builds his own house. Neighbours reference him with great respect and address him in the Russian style: Vasily Ivanovich.

Experts, who estimate his chances in the elections, are sceptical. In their opinion, Krima has no chances in the country, where elections outcomes are defined well before the voting day. Being an independent candidate, he has already criticized local authorities for absence of water and gas supplies to local residents.

His neighbours comment on the gasification issue. "Putin promised that making gas supply will cost 25-30 thousand roubles per household; and our local oligarchs made their calculations and gave the price - 250 thousand. Where can ordinary residents take such money? Here, let Vasily Ivanovich become a deputy and clear out the matter," say local residents who are ready to vote for Krima.

"This African, without knowing about it, commits a diversion in Russian politics," Volgograd political scientist Andrei Serenko believes. According to his story, Krima attracts too much attention to remote Russian countryside, where people live in awful conditions.

"He wears a T-shirt of 'Edinaya Rossiya', loves Putin and says everything he thinks about local authorities. He cannot be just simply removed from the elections, because it will become a broadly known fact, abroad, in particular. And if he is elected, the authorities will have to consider his opinion, as journalists will go there to cover his activities. This African is a unique opportunity for Russian poor people to try to solve their problems. He's a sort of a revolutionary," said the political scientist.

Like Barack Obama, Joachim Krima hopes to overcome the racism, deeply rooted in the consciousness of local residents, as reported by the Austrian newspaper Der Standard. The Miami Herald from the USA writes that Krima has faced the realities of a black person's life in Russia, with its deeply rooted racism and racial stereotypes. Krima is on good terms with his fellow citizens, but to be absolutely confident, he is everywhere accompanied by his brawny brother-in-law, as the edition adds.