May 08, 2026

Attacked for "Speaking Buryat" on the Bus


Attacked for "Speaking Buryat" on the Bus
Footage of woman who confronted a passenger for speaking Buryat. Astra, Telegram.

On May 1, Mediazona reported that authorities had opened a criminal investigation into a racially-motivated attack on a woman of Buryat descent. She was on a bus and allegedly speaking Buryat over the phone. Footage of the incident went viral on social media.

On April 29, interior designer Natalya Sundupova, who is from the Russian republic of Buryatia, got on a Moscow bus while on a call with a colleague. A nearby young female passenger in a gray hoodie shoved and insulted her as she walked to the back of the bus. She accused Sundupova of conversing in a foreign language. The attacker said, "You come here to our country, speak on the phone, that language is always yours. How are we all supposed to listen to this? Why should we, people, listen to that?" The victim claims she was actually speaking Russian and wrapping up her phone call.

Sundupova was told to go "live in your country." She told her attacker, "So you don't think I'm Russian?" The woman in the hoodie and an older female passenger hit the interior designer in the face. According to Sundupova, one of the women said a racist insult towards her. Then, she got off the bus and called the police. 

Sundupova told MSK1.RU, "Nobody helped me. A man sitting next to the woman merely asked her to calm down. Other women told the two of them that they had done everything right, [that they] shouldn't be afraid and continue." Since the attack, the interior designer has been suffering panic attacks, which further aggravate her preexisting heart condition.

On April 30, Sundupova uploaded footage from her cellphone, documenting the attack. The video quickly went viral, garnering 2.6 million views. The reaction was mixed, with many attacking the designer. However, Sundupova received support from Buryats and other ethnic minorities. Members of Buryatia's State Duma contacted her to submit a parliamentary inquiry over the incident. Authorities announced they had opened a criminal investigation, but have not publicly identified suspects or what charges will be filed.

 

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