SARATOV, January 23 (RIA Novosti, Erik Batuyev) - The Cossack community in the southern Russian city of Saratov has decided to take measures to protect foreigners studying in the city, the mayor's office said Tuesday. The community has pledged to ensure order on student campuses.
"They will also accompany foreign students during various public events," the mayor's office said.
Cossacks were historically cavalry members known for their loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and also for their identity as a separate ethnic and social group.
Saratov is a major city in southern European Russia on the western bank of the Volga, and is home to a large state university. The city is has several ethnic groups.
The decision aims to deter racially motivated assaults that hit some of Russian cities last year.
In particular, attacks on foreign students took place in the central Russian city of Voronezh, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Moscow, traditionally a popular destination for foreign undergraduates.
In an attack on October 9, 2005, an 18-year-old architecture student from Peru was stabbed to death in the city, and two of his friends, also foreigners, were injured.
A little over a week later, an Albanian student at the local university told police he had been mugged and had his mobile phone and identification papers stolen near his hall of residence.
On January 10, two men from Sudan were allegedly assaulted at a bus stop in Voronezh, but no serious injuries were reported.
The Russian Education and Science Ministry said it would review the list of colleges recommended to foreign students.
