Diasporic group boundaries and solidarity in the making: collective memory in the anti-war protests in Sweden

Abstract

ABSTRACTSince the eruption of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, both Ukrainian and Russian diasporas in Sweden have been reframing themselves through memories, narratives and symbols. They have been revised in connection to the initial Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea (2014), the “homeland” as well as previous diasporic mobilizations in the country of residence. Revising the memories, narratives and symbols to fit the new reality of a full-scale war also has meant renegotiating group boundaries in the solidarity with Ukraine movement. In this study, I focus on the collective memory and group boundary-making within the pro-Ukraine movement and demonstrations in Stockholm, Sweden, and investigate the change in solidarity patterns, specifically performed during the initial mobilization due to the annexation of Crimea, Russian-backed insurgency in the eastern Ukraine, and the first months of Russian invasion of Ukraine.