During most of the 20th Century, the Soviet Union, (or USSR) was deeply repressive against minority groups, and no liberal laws existed for their protection. After the end of the Cold War, and the independence of the Russian Federation, there was an effort to provide liberal protections for the different minority groups. The main religion in Russia is Eastern Orthodox Christianity (70%), and minorities include Islam (12%), non-religous (13%), Shamanism (.5%), Buddhism (.5%), Judaism (.1%), among other groups. In 1997, a law was passed for the freedom of religious belief in Russia, and it protected against discrimination.
The main ethnic group are Russians (81%), and minorities include Tatars (4%), Ukrainians (1.4%), Bashkirs (1.2%), Chechens (1%), Armenians (.9%), etc.
“minorities and indigenous peoples in Russia face a diverse set of current problems and challenges. Five main strands may be identified. First, violent secessionism and a resulting deterioration in basic security, with corresponding costs in terms of social cohesion, afflict several minorities in the North Caucasus, the most troubled region of the Russian Federation. Second, increased racial discrimination and xenophobia across the Russian Federation have serious implications for many members of minorities living outside of their traditional homelands or in large cities. Third, identity loss, language shift and assimilation confront many of the smaller minorities in the Russian Federation, particularly in the Russian North, Siberia, the Far East and the North Caucasus. Fourth, government attempts to define and channel debates on national identity continue to posit problematic distinctions between ethnic Russians and other citizens of the Federation. Finally, attempts to abolish or downgrade the level of administrative entitlement for a number of smaller minorities in the name of consolidating territorial units threatens their capacity to defend and promote their rights.”
World Directory of Minority Rights and Indigenous Peoples – Russian Federation Overview
http://www.minorityrights.org/2492/russian-federation/russian-federation-overview.html
Such small groups of minorities in an atmosphere of discrimination and xenophobia is certainly a thrust toward violence.