Ed Bentley

The country's Africans know that the capital is no place to let your guard down.

"I knew folks who lost their lives," said Nigerian-born JK Samson. "Attacks, fights, even in the lecture room and with lecturers, just name it."

A survey last month by the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy (MPC) found that 58.5 per cent of the African community had been physically attacked in the capital, while human rights group Sova reported no fewer than 23 victims, including three fatalities, of racist and neo-Nazi attacks in August in the Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kirov and Ufa regions.

The majority of incidents "took place on the day of the VDV (Airborne Troops) celebration, which is traditionally marked by mass disorders and fights of drunken VDV veterans, including racially motivated incidents," Sova said in their August monthly bulletin published on their web site.

People of non-Slavic appearance are advised by the MPC to lay low on these days and avoid travelling on the metro four hours before and after football or hockey matches, particularly on the red or green lines.

All people of non-Slavic appearance are also advised to remain extra vigilant on April 21, when skinheads mark Hitler's birthday.

A Moscow-based Western DJ, who asked not to be named, said he "made the mistake of taking the same train they [skinheads] were taking to a soccer match and that was a nightmare. The escalator was full of skinheads in black jackets." Now, he says, he doesn't have a particular problem with racism.

Meanwhile Buster, an African-American who worked on his dissertation in the capital until June 2008, created "Moscow Through Brown Eyes", a blog which dispenses advice to people of colour planning to visit Russia. Despite not being attacked, Buster warned that visitors should take the recommendations of other residents "very seriously".

Back in the 1990s, the DJ was rescued from his encounter with skinheads by a policeman who put him in a secure room till the crowd dispersed. Others, however, have found the opposite to be the case and been persecuted by the police themselves.

Less than 15 per cent of the respondents on the MPC survey said they had a good or very good relationship with the police while some 25 per cent said items had been stolen by the police. Communication is often the key and Robert K. Bronkema from the MPC said in a telephone interview that "if you speak Russian there is a very high possibility of being helped [by the police]."

The MPC's task force can also assist those that don't speak good Russian file a police report and help them get medical attention as well as contact the relevant embassy.

One consular officer from an African embassy was reluctant to speak, feeling the problems weren't unique to Moscow, but did offer some advice.

"When people come to Moscow they should conduct themselves well, not go to dangerous zones where they are likely to be attacked, such as train stations," he said.

Much of the advice is common sense: avoid underground passages late at night; don't travel alone; and avoid groups of teenage boys with shaved heads. Attitude and appearance are another important factor, according to both the DJ and Buster.

"I tried to maintain a serious appearance - I wore a collared shirt and always carried a briefcase (even when there was nothing inside of it) to look professional," Buster wrote.

Despite the problems, racism has fallen since its boom in the 1990s and early 2000s, according to the survey.

"Race relations between the African and Russian communities have generally improved [but] the situation remains bad" the report said.

What to do if you are attacked

1. If you are seriously injured, ask a bystander to call an ambulance ("skoraya pomoshch") using the phone number 03. At the hospital be sure to ask for a document ("spravka") that describes your injuries and the treatment you have received. This is important evidence. Ask the doctor to report the incident to the police. Then go with a friend to a police station to make a formal report.

2. If you can safely wait for treatment, then make a police report first. If the police arrive, you might go with them in pursuit of the perpetrators.

3. Ask bystanders to act as witnesses. Tell them to wait for the police and then report what they saw.