Concept in Definition ABC

Pogrom is a word of Russian origin and it refers to mass aggressions towards some groups. In other words, these are acts of violence against a social group, religious or ethnic.

It was first used in Russia in the 19th century in connection with indiscriminate attacks on the population bean.

Jews were the main victims of pogroms in Russia

Jews have historically been a minority within Russia. In tsarist Russia, members of this group could only have the same rights as other citizens if they converted to Orthodox Christianity. As in other countries, there have been episodes of anti-Semitism in Russia. In the case of the progroms, anti-Semitism incorporated very violent attitudes.

In this area, during the Tsarism in the 19th century and in the Revolutionary period of 1917, there were massacres and looting, as well as all kinds of aggressions against wealthy Jewish Russians who were hated by some sectors of the society. These attacks had a appearance spontaneous and not premeditated, but on many occasions they were secretly organized by the Tsarist and Bolshevik governments.

As a consequence of the pogroms, there was a wave of migration of Russian Jews to the United States and Latin America.

The origin of pogroms in Russia

The Jewish minority in Russia lived in neighborhoods called chertas and in them the population was mainly engaged in prosperous commercial activities. This situation provoked envy and resentment among the disadvantaged popular classes of the Christian religion.

Throughout the tsarist stage, the government launched campaigns against Jews, who were accused of Bolshevik terrorists who represented a threat for the nation Russian. At the same time, a false story was created according to which the Jews had the purpose of establishing a shadow world power.

Pogroms, genocides and lynchings

The pogrom concept can be contextualize in the history of Russia. However, in other territories there have been violent episodes with very similar characteristics. The Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group in the 1990s or the lynchings against the population Black women in the United States are examples of violent episodes motivated by racial prejudice and cultural

There are very many groups that have been victims of violent persecution throughout history: Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, blacks or Christians.

Photos: Fotolia - katatonia / alefbet26