The Struggle for a National Identity in Post-Soviet Russia

Chafetz, Glenn

doi:10.2307/2152089

Cited by 32 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…National identity in post-Soviet Russia poses an especially interesting set of questions because of the closely intertwined histories of Russia and the USSR. Indeed, the evolution of Russian national identity has attracted considerable political and scholarly concern among political scientists in the last ten years (e.g., Kommisrud and Svartdal 1992;Dunlop 1993Dunlop , 1993Dunlop -1994Rousselet 1994;Urban 1994Urban , 1998Chafetz 1997;Tolz 1998aTolz , 1998b. However, few (e.g., K. Smith 1996) have specifically examined the role of monuments and memorials in constructing this identity.…”

Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the Threads of History: Soviet–Era Monuments and Post–Soviet National Identity in Moscow

Forest

Johnson

2002

Annals of the Association of American Geographers

217

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This article explores the formation of post–Soviet Russian national identity through a study of political struggles over key Soviet–era monuments and memorials in Moscow during the “critical juncture” in Russian history from 1991 through 1999. We draw on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Pierre Nora to explain how competition among political elites for control over the sites guided their transformation from symbols of the Soviet Union into symbols of Russia. By co–opting, contesting, ignoring, or removing certain types of monuments through both physical transformations and “commemorative maintenance,” Russian political elites engaged in a symbolic dialogue with each other and with the public in an attempt to gain prestige, legitimacy, and influence. We make this argument through case studies of four monument sites in Moscow: Victory Park (Park Pobedy), the Lenin Mausoleum, the former Exhibition of the Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh), and the Park of Arts (Park Isskustv). In the article, we first discuss the role of symbolic capital in the transformation of national identity. Following an examination of the political struggles over places of memory in Moscow, we analyze the interplay between elite and popular uses of the monuments, exploring the extent to which popular “reading” of the sites limits the ability of elites to manipulate their meaning. We conclude by looking at the Russian case in comparative perspective and exploring the reasons behind the dearth of civic monuments in post–Soviet Russia.

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Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the Threads of History: Soviet–Era Monuments and Post–Soviet National Identity in Moscow

Forest

Johnson

2002

Annals of the Association of American Geographers

217

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“…Although the theory proved successful in shedding new light on the different factors influencing images of the enemy (Silverstein -Flamenbaum 1989), it lost popularity after the fall of the Iron Curtain. On the other hand, role theory survived the end of the Cold War and has been widely used to study issues connected to both international relations and European integration (for example, Aggestam 2012;Catalinac 2007;Chafetz 1997;Mišík 2015).…”

Section: Perception Within International Relations and European Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Newcomer, Normal Player or Regional Leader? Perceptions of Poland in the EU

Kratochvíl¹,

Mišík²

2015

Politics in Central Europe

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This study analyses the status of the new EU member states and, in particular, Poland as it is perceived by the representatives of the older EU members. On a theoretical level, it argues that the transformation of the newcomers into “normal players” or even “regional leaders” is dependent on five specific conditions that each of these countries must fulfil. These range from (1) simple compliance with the EU’s basic norms and (2) a sufficient level of orientation in EU decision-making to (3) establishment of the country’s unique policy expertise, (4) the ability to create winning coalitions and finally and above all (5) a willingness to defend the interests of the Union as a whole. On an empirical level, we draw on an extensive set of interviews with diplomats belonging to the permanent representation of the old member states in Brussels. Based on these data, we conclude that (1) Poland has already established itself as a normal EU player fully comparable with the older member states. In terms of the country’s leadership status, (2) Poland has also moved to the position of frontrunner among the new member states. However, the country still fails in at least one criterion: (regional) leadership. This precludes it from becoming a fully respected and leading state in the EU.

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“…The political content of ‘Go, Russia!’ rests upon reflections on Russia's historical role. Despite intense debate over whether elites instrumentalise national history and identity in Russia (Chafetz, 1996/7; Hopf, 2005; Malakhov, 1998; Mukharyamov, 2004; Tishkov, 1997), Medvedev explicitly links Russia's history to future policy decisions, making an appreciation of his narrative crucial for understanding his policy objectives.…”

Section: Dmitry Medvedev's ‘Go Russia!’mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, though competing histories exist in all kinds of political systems, the contemporary Russian ruling elite's account is subject to limited challenge, due both to the media's prioritisation of elite activities and rhetoric, and its limited freedom to present challenges to the political elite's narrative. Existing work on Russia has examined elite references to national identity (Chafetz, 1996/7; Hopf, 2005; Mukharyamov, 2004; Tishkov, 1997), historical narratives and collective ‘memory’ (Chapovskii, 2011; McAuley, 2011; Sherlock, 2007; Smith, 2002; Urban, 1998; Wood, 2011) and the reproduction of certain modes of elite discourse (Miller, 2009; Urban, 2010). To make a contribution to this literature, this article deploys a specific understanding of historical narrative in order to adapt sociological approaches to narratives of personal experience.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing History: Narratives, Identity and Perceptions of Russia's Post-Soviet Role

Chatterje-Doody

2013

Politics

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Russian political elites have long been aware of the power of myths to forge national unity. However, the past six or seven years have seen core myths increasingly situated within a highly selective narrative of Russian history. This narrative is accepted as contextual information for policy discussion, and so sets cognitive parameters for evaluations of Russia's history, identity and role. This standard narrative of Russian history prioritises the state, supports gradualism and continuity, and dramatically reduces the potential for re-conceptualising Russia's role in contemporary international relations.

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The Struggle for a National Identity in Post-Soviet Russia

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

Unraveling the Threads of History: Soviet–Era Monuments and Post–Soviet National Identity in Moscow

Unraveling the Threads of History: Soviet–Era Monuments and Post–Soviet National Identity in Moscow

Newcomer, Normal Player or Regional Leader? Perceptions of Poland in the EU

Harnessing History: Narratives, Identity and Perceptions of Russia's Post-Soviet Role

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