Moscow Death Brigade

I've got a really negative perception of nowadays Russia. Unfortunately (among other things their architecture makes Moscow and Leningrad two incredibly interesting cities to me) I've never had the chance to be there, but I've read enough from different sources to believe my views are sadly realistic...

Sure it's easy to think about their totalitarian government, a political maphia with a total control on media. A gang of cold war educated mercenaries that do not hesitate to cut the gas supply to other countries in the middle of winter, to imprison or murder disidents, to attack Georgia, to attack Estonia, to threaten Ukrainia, to perpetrate ethnic cleansing in Chechnya, to recruit war lords, to starve their own people...

But more than that, it's the "street feeling" what really outrages me... It's a society where xenophobia and racism seem almost genetic, a place where NeoNazis rule the streets with the aid of state forces. A place where having dark skin, slanted eyes... or any other "sign of ethnic impurity" can get you stabbed in the metro by a pack of blood thirsty Nazi Skinheads... a place where going to a Punk concert or collaborating with Food Not Bombs means risking your life. A place where standing against the oppresors can be rewarded with some shoots in your doorway...
There are tons of information on this, but it still seems rather unknown to most Westerns...
I renember how horrorized I felt the first time I read this:

As of 2007, St. Petersburg and Russia in general can be regarded as a seriously dangerous destination for tourists of darker complexions. Travelling in groups is highly advised

in wikitravel, and how much hate and solidarity I've felt each time I've read news like these

But, even when these motherfuckers are now the rulers, opposition exists and resits, a true opposition (with true I mean not an aesthetic trend making you feel rebelious but keeping you empty... but a committed attitude confronting unequalities and unjustice that can bring you real trouble).
Hopefully there's a good bunch of samples, like:

Anna Politkovskaja, Natalia Estemirova, Memorial, Novaya Gazeta...

but what has prompted me to write this post is this great band that I've recently found in the net. Uncompromising antifascist Hip Hop from Moscow. Their music is great, and this extract from their MySpace makes their stance clear:

MDB tells stories straight from their own reality – the reality of modern Russia with its raging poverty, corruption, extreme police brutality, child drug-addiction and bloody race and ethnic conflicts. A reality where the Neo-Nazi hordes murder people in the broad day light and still got the support from the government. A reality where a hardcore or hip-hop gig may end up in a brutal attack of the police or their fascist puppets. A reality where it's hard to survive and even harder to remain true to yourself.
...
MDB gigs on the territory of the former USSR are usually accompanied by the visits of riot cops, bomb threats from Nazis and other fun stuff.

It very much impressed me to see the pictures of their performance in the street, with them and the audience with their faces covered, not doing that way can mean the the Nazi scum tracking you and beating you to death...

Another thing that amazed me was seeing that they had taken part in a benefit show to raise funds for an orphanage for children with disabilities. Shit, I'm used to concerts for raising funds for political actions, squats, autonomous social centers... because usually we take for granted that it's the state (well, all of us) who puts the money for orphanages, but it seems like in the Russia of the oligarchy and the maphia state does not take care of that...

Thumbs up to these artivists, and above all, much RESPECT!!!