Research Article

The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World

Volume: 1 Number: 1 March 30, 2021
EN

The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World

Abstract

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left twenty-five million ethnic Russians living outside the contemporary borders of the Russian Federation, the country’s ruling elite have undertaken increasing efforts over time to formulate policies on “compatriots”, regardless of whether this population has conceived of themselves as such. Drawing on political speeches, official policy documents, and scholarly literature, this paper seeks to illustrate how the Kremlin’s understanding of the boundaries and meaning of national identity has driven its diaspora politics. More precisely, I argue that the contextualization of Russian diaspora is constituted and constrained by the vision of national identity that the Kremlin endorses over other competing visions of Russian identity, since diaspora is primarily defined in reference to the nation. Moreover, my research highlights that the Russia’s interaction with Europe and the West plays a key role in the process of constituting its identity. This interaction, in turn, influences how the Russian authorities formulate diaspora policies in the former Soviet states. Finally, I suggest that the Kremlin’s instrumentalization of compatriots serves as a domestic goal by promoting national unity around a vision of national identity that it endorses.

Keywords

References

  1. Abdelal, R., Herrera, Y. M., Johnston, A. I., & McDermott, R. (Eds.). (2009). Identity as a Variable. In Measuring identity: A guide for social scientists. Cambridge University Press.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Political Science

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

March 30, 2021

Submission Date

March 15, 2021

Acceptance Date

March 26, 2021

Published in Issue

Year 2021 Volume: 1 Number: 1

APA
Degirmen Dysart, B. (2021). The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies, 1(1), 49-63. https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG
AMA
1.Degirmen Dysart B. The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World. TJDS. 2021;1(1):49-63. https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG
Chicago
Degirmen Dysart, Burcu. 2021. “The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World”. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies 1 (1): 49-63. https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG.
EndNote
Degirmen Dysart B (March 1, 2021) The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies 1 1 49–63.
IEEE
[1]B. Degirmen Dysart, “The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World”, TJDS, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 49–63, Mar. 2021, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG
ISNAD
Degirmen Dysart, Burcu. “The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World”. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies 1/1 (March 1, 2021): 49-63. https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG.
JAMA
1.Degirmen Dysart B. The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World. TJDS. 2021;1:49–63.
MLA
Degirmen Dysart, Burcu. “The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World”. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, Mar. 2021, pp. 49-63, https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG.
Vancouver
1.Burcu Degirmen Dysart. The Politics of Russian ‘Diaspora’: From Compatriots to a Russian World. TJDS [Internet]. 2021 Mar. 1;1(1):49-63. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA45XE86BG

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