Russian-speaking Community Research Articles

Socio-cultural transnational practices in Saturday Russian schools in Scotland

How can socio-cultural transnational activities be related to the study of one’s heritage language? Why do Saturday schools promote socio-cultural transnational practices inside and outside of the learning process? Why would migrant families like to support socio-cultural transnational activities organised by the schools? This article offers answers to the questions posed above based on an investigation of four Russian schools in Scotland. Heritage language preservation is a negotiable process which flexibly responds to the interests of the parents, teachers and pupils who participate in the activities of the Russian schools and contribute to shaping their aims. These interests can be considered as the main driving forces for a wide range of aspects of the Russian schools’ everyday life, such as educational programmes, styles of teaching, the social relationship between members of the Russian school community and additional cultural events organised by these schools. In Scotland, Russian-speaking communities bring together individuals with a range of characteristics (including different paths to migration, skills and educational levels, national identities, and countries of origin). The present study has shown the importance of this diverse composition of Russian-speaking communities to the everyday operations of the Russian schools. This contributes to the discussion of socio-cultural transnational elements activities in everyday life of the Saturday schools and their role in the development of the migrant community. Expanding on the existing literature in this area, the research investigates socio-cultural transnational practices which unite the Russian-speaking community in Scotland itself, and create a bridge between this community and the Russian-speaking world.

ЯЗЫКОВАЯ ПОЛИТИКА УКРАИНЫ НА ЮГЕ И ВОСТОКЕ СТРАНЫ КАК МЕТОД ЭТНОКРАТИИ

The author characterizes the language policy of post-Maidan Ukraine (2014-2020) in the South and East of the country as a method of consolidating ethnocracy in the process of nation-building. An assessment of the state and trends in the historiography of the problem is given. Ethnodemographic changes in the structure of the population, as well as public opinion in the South and East of Ukraine over the period from 1989 to 2020 were revealed. The intentions of the language policy of Ukraine are revealed. The ineffectiveness of international influence to ensure compliance with democratic norms of language policy is noted. Russian Russian language policy is defined as the destruction of institutions of Russian-language education and mass media in the Russian language, the weakening of Russian ethnic identity, carried out by the state authorities of Ukraine. An important factor in de-Russification is the armed conflict in the Donbas, which has become a catalyst for the transition to ethnocracy in Ukraine. At the same time, the unrecognized states in Donbass maintain the equality of languages on their territory. It is concluded that the dual (mixed) identity of residents of the South and East of the country is preserved at the regional and local levels. At the same time, the Russian-speaking community in the South and East of the country remains politically weak and disorganized, and is subject to targeted discrimination. The political consequences of forced ukrainization, as well as resistance to ethnocracy in public opinion and voting in elections, are determined.

Support Online: Case of Russian-speaking Women’s Online Network in Warsaw

The purpose of this paper is to study the mechanisms of online networking and exchange of social support among members of a migrant virtual group of Russian-speaking women in Poland on Facebook. The research was based on content analysis and non-participant observation during two weeks in November and December 2019. I also had two online conversations with the moderator of the group based on a prepared list of questions. It appeared, that members of the group used networking to improve communication on a wide range of issues. Conversations available online provide insight on how migration determines daily issues and social life but also as a source of socially-reproducing precarity. Informality as a social model of inter-group relations prevails among members of the Russian-speaking community. Four main types of social support emerged from communication on the forum – informational, instrumental, emotional and community building. Russian-speaking women use Facebook group to share information, empower each other, boost self-esteem and find companionship. The findings allow to consider the role of the online group as a complementary mechanism for adaptation and improvement of well-being of migrants in Poland.

РУССКОГОВОРЯЩИЕ СООБЩЕСТВА В АВСТРИИ И ВЕНГРИИ: ПОДХОДЫ К ИДЕНТИФИКАЦИИ, ОЦЕНКА ЧИСЛЕННОСТИ И СОЦИАЛЬНО-ДЕМОГРАФИЧЕСКАЯ СТРУКТУРА

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of the formation of Russian-speaking communities in two European countries — Austria and Hungary — in the post-Soviet period. Some historical factors of the emergence of Russian-speaking communities in these countries, the current state, popula-tion dynamics and demographic structure are considered. It is noted that in the last decade, both in Austria and Hungary, the interest of Russians as countries of potential emigration has been growing. High standards of quality of life, a stable economy, a favorable climate, and a rich cultural heritage make Austria very attractive to Russians. The relative low cost of living, mild climate, inexpensive real estate and the possibility of registering it as property contribute to the growth of Russian interest in Hungary. The main channels for increasing the number of Russian-speaking communities at present can be considered marriage migration, family reunification, and educational migration. The gender structure is dominated by women. A significant part of the representatives of Russian-speaking communities is well integrated into the host societies. One of the important elements of the interaction of Russian-speaking communities in Austria and Hungary is the Russian language. The article estimates its prevalence based on an analysis of the Russian-language press, social networks, the functioning of schools and Russian language courses.

Institutionalization of Russian-speaking communities of Canada

Страна кленового листа представлена этническими группами практически из всех стран мира. Свой вклад в её развитие внесли и выходцы из России. Крайняя разнородность русскоязычного населения, по разным причинам и в разных условиях переселявшегося в Канаду в течение полутора столетий, его неодинаковая идейно-политическая, религиозная ориентация, социально-классовая принадлежность, образовательный, профессиональный и культурный уровень детерминировали максимальную мозаичность и разобщённость общины, что препятствовало её превращению в активного и весомого участника канадской общественной, политической и культурной жизни. Бережное сохранение и продвижение многими этническими общностями Канады своей культуры, обычаев и традиций, поддержка государства и общества развития этого «многоцветья культур» предопреде-лили изменения и в русскоязычных общинах. Создание по всей стране организаций, центров широкого спектра деятельности, в том числе поддержки соотечественников, сохранения и продвижения русской культуры, свидетельствуют о наметившейся тенденции к её консолидации и интеграции в канадское общество как русских канадцев. Немаловажным фактором этого процесса становится поддержка Россией этнокультурной и духовной самоидентификации соотечественников как одно из ключевых направлений её внешней политики. В статье рассматривается процесс институционализации русскоязычного сообщества в Канаде, его консолидации в последние десятилетия в условиях изменения состава иммигрантов, политики мультикультурализма как модели национальной интеграции, опирающейся на признание культурного многообразия этносов в качестве основы национального единства, эволюции отношения российского общества и государства к зарубежным соотечественникам. Ключевые слова: иммиграция, русскоязычные общины, мультикультурализм, самоидентификация, консолидация, интеграция, адаптация, институционализация, зарубежные соотечественники, волны российской иммиграции, русский контент, национальное сообщество, культурное разнообразие этносов, центры русской культуры, «Русский мир», концепция внешней политики России. Abstract. The article analyses the process of institutionalization of Russian-speaking communities in Canada and the consolidation of the population at the Canadian multiculturalism condition as the model of a national integration. Canada has accumulated a valuable experience of a peaceful way to solve many problems. One of the most essential factors here is its division into two state-forming communities: English and French Canadians. In Canada there are many different ethnic groups; Russian-speaking diaspora is one of many communities. Extreme diversity of the Russian-speaking population, who, due to various reasons and in different circumstances, had been immigrating in Canada for a century and a half, determined the highest mosaic structure and dissociation of the community that prevented it from becoming an active and weighty participant in the social, political and cultural life of Canada. In the circumstance of careful preservation and promotion by many ethnic groups of their culture, customs and traditions together with a powerful public and social support of this cultural diversity (the image of the Maple Leaf country in the world) which are conducted in the context of multicultural policy, visible changes appeared in the Russian-speaking expat community as well. The intensive activity of Russian-speaking community in creating various associations and centers to support compatriots, to preserve and to promote Russian culture in the last decade, witnesses an outlined trend of rallying in the Russian community and its integration to the Canadian society as Russian Canadians. Nowadays Russian Government regards the compatriots’ problems as the key problems to Russian foreign policy and believes necessary to support Canadian compatriots according to their ethno-cultural and common self-identification. Keywords: immigration, Russian-speaking communities, multiculturalism, self-identification, consolidation, integration, adaptation, institutionalization, foreign compatriots, national association, cultural variety of ethnics, centers of Russian culture, conception of Russian foreign policy.

Fading Russian Influence in the Baltic States

Since the beginning of Vladimir Putin's rule in Russia 20 years ago, Russia has lost much of the leverage that it previously enjoyed in the Baltics. On the one hand, Russia has antagonized Baltic states through its wars in Georgia and Ukraine, on the other hand, deep integration in the EU and NATO has pulled the Baltic states from the Russian zone of influence. This article discusses the gradual decrease of Russia's influence in the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania while considering the increased NATO presence in the region, Baltic energy security, and Baltic Russian-speaking communities.

ТРАНЗИТ РУССКОГО ПРАВОСЛАВИЯ В КОРОЛЕВСТВО КАМБОДЖА НА РУБЕЖЕ ХХ-ХХI ВЕКОВ

Preservation of Orthodoxy among the Russian-speaking communities abroad is a priority task of the Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchy. The article tries to reconstruct the process of establishing Orthodox institutions in modern Cambodia and to reveal the factors influencing this process. Relying on previous studies, Internet sources and personal observations, the author identifies two stages of Orthodoxy propagation in the Kingdom of Cambodia and concludes that the size and activity of the Russian-speaking communities in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville are key factors in this process.

The Concept of Russian World. Variability of Understanding in the Context of International Processes

The article analyzes the concept of the Russian world, which became firmly established in the modern Russian political lexicon in the second half of the 2000s. The objective basis for the concept is the existence of numerous Russianspeaking communities outside of modern Russia, together with significant civilizational role of Russian language and culture. A characteristic feature of this concept is the lack of a clear, unambiguous definition of what the Russian world really is. At the moment, there are many definitions ascribing numerous meanings to the linguistic form Russian world. The article considers the peculiarities of the life of Russian communities in the near (the Post-Soviet space) and far abroad in the context of modern international processes. In conclusion, taking into account the variable meanings of the concept, as well as the negative experience of the policy pursued by Russian authorities in relation to Russian communities abroad, possible directions of alternation and development of this policy in the future are outlined.

Immigration Discourse and the Prospects of Russian Language in Lithuania

In contrast to the ongoing emigration, immigration to Lithuania cannot be called intensive, and this topic as a whole remains on the periphery of public and academic attention. This article offers a description of the situation of immigration from the perspective of sociolinguistics. In particular, an analysis of the discourse of today’s Russian-speaking immigration to Lithuania reveals the linguistic attitudes of immigrants with a native Russian language or their own, their adaptation strategies, family language planning, and, ultimately, makes it possible to formulate general conclusions about the prospects of preserving / not preserving Russian-speaking community in the host country.The paper summarizes interview materials with immigrants from Russia and some post-Soviet countries posted on the Lithuanian Internet, as well as recorded during this study.

Cooperation with Russia and the Current State of the RussianLanguage Community on the Agenda of the 2018 Election to the Seimas of Latvia

The article discusses the opinion of the relevant participants in the 2018 elections to the Seimas of Latvia in regards to the Latvian-Russian relations and the situation of the Russianspeaking community in the country. The issue sprung up in the period between the elections as a result of foreign policy (confrontation between Russia and the West to regards to the events in Ukraine) and internal political factors (adoption of the law stipulating the transfer of ethnic minority schools to teaching in the Latvian language). In the light of the ethnic conflict between Latvians and the Russian-speaking population in Latvia, the authors have based their research on S. Lipset and S. Rokkan’s theory of demarcations. Drawing on this theory, the authors use the scoring method to highlight ideological contrasts of political parties. As a result, three different approaches to the current situation have been identified. The first approach is focused on creating conditions for ethnic equality in Latvia and cooperation with Russia. The second approach, on the contrary, stands for limiting the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia and continuing confrontation with the Russian Federation. The third approach, being ideologically close to the second, nevertheless allows for some latitude towards Russian-speaking residents. Based on Pearson’s correlation method, the analysis of the voting geography showed that the ideological contrasts existing between political forces coincide with their electoral divergences.

Social media and Russian territorial irredentism: some facts and a conjecture

ABSTRACTAfter Kremlin policymakers decided to incorporate the territory of Crimea into Russia, updates on public attitudes in Russian-speaking communities elsewhere in Ukraine would have been in high demand. Because social media users produce content in order to communicate ideas to their social networks, online political discourse can provide important clues about the political dispositions of communities. We map the evolution of Russian-speakers’ attitudes, expressed on social media, across the course of the conflict as Russian analysts might have observed them at the time. Results suggest that the Russian-Ukrainian interstate border only moved as far as their military could have advanced while incurring no occupation costs – Crimea, and no further.

Post-Soviet Nostalgia in Israel? Historical Revisionism and Artists of the 1.5 Generation

ABSTRACTThe article examines contemporary Israeli poetry and visual art by Russian-Jewish artists of the 1.5 generation, artists who were born in the Soviet Union but resettled in Israel during the 1990s. By focusing on the representation of the Soviet–Jewish past in their works, I show that in contrast to the largely negative view of the Soviet experience by the previous generations of Russian-Israeli authors, the historical understanding of the 1.5 generation is fundamentally different. This cohort of artists resists the lachrymose portrayal of Jewish life in the USSR and the “Happily Ever After” finale in Israel. Instead, they propose a counter-narrative that is hinged on a romanticized depiction of life in the USSR and disillusionment in Israel that followed. I argue that nostalgic representations of the Soviet–Jewish past by these artists derive from the suffering, humiliation, and rapid downwards social mobility that the Russian-speaking community experienced in Israel.

Three Phases of the Theatrical Public Sphere in Estonian Theatre

The concept of the public sphere by Jürgen Habermas has inspired humanities and theatre studies. Estonia, as a small post-totalitarian nation state, proves the concept especially relevant as its recent history reveals three different phases of the theatrical public sphere. 1) Theatre as a secret forum. In Soviet times, theatre served as a political and ideological tool, providing a place for keeping the national memory and consolidating society. 2) The active and technical use of the public sphere by newly awakened political theatre NO99 since 2005. 3) The agonistic theatrical public sphere. During the past decade, a whole wave of projects have discussed national identity with concurrent antagonisms: globalization vs nationalism, civic vs ethnic nationalism, the Estonian vs Russianspeaking community. Theatre has commented on two concepts of national identity, e-Estonia and Organic Estonia, innovative digitalization and cultural traditions. The discursive public sphere has led to increased civic awareness and structural changes in the developing democracy, supported integration, and anti-xenophobia in Estonia. At the same time, two main characteristics of the theatrical public sphere have been highlighted: spatiality and political relevance

Идеологическая и политическая дистанция «русских» партий Латвии

The article analyzes the ideological and institutional differences between the Russian parties of Latvia. The method of score assessment highlighted differences on issues relating to the situation of the Russian-speaking community of Latvia and relations with Russia. The author reveals that the ideological differences between the two parties are largely due to their significantly different electoral potential.

SOCIO-POLITICAL WORDS OF CHINESE ORIGIN IN RUSSIAN

The article is devoted to the study of semantic features and derivational potential of socio-political words of Chinese origin, as well as the peculiarities of their functioning in the Russian language. The study describes 28 loanwords with socio-political semantics, which are recorded in the Russian dictionaries and used on the Internet. The research method is based on the functional approach to linguistic units focusing on their comprehension and systematization via a combination of semasiological (from the form to the meaning) and onomasiological (from the meaning to the function) analyses. The first kind of analysis is used at the initial, structural-semantic stage of investigation of derivatives; the second one is carried out while studying their functioning in the Russian language. In addition to purely linguistic methods, the article employs a quantitative one. The author has worked out a semantic classification of socio-political words borrowed into the Russian language from Chinese. The article analyzes the specificity of adaptation of these lexical units on various linguistic levels: phonetic, semantic and derivational. It has been found that 56 derivatives are formed in the modern Russian language on the basis of these lexemes. The article characterizes their derivational structure and semantics. It is stressed that the realization of the derivational potential of loanwords is associated with the urgency of the Chinese socio-political phenomenon for the Russian-speaking community. Thus, it has turned out that the personal name of Mao Zedong has the highest derivational capacity (20 derivatives). In addition, the author analyzes the specific features of functioning of socio-political words of Chinese origin in different areas of communication - the majority of them are used in their direct meanings; in some cases they develop a terminological flavor. Nevertheless, in publicist discourse, these words are capable of reflecting the attitude of Russian speakers to the socio-political phenomena of China.

Expectations and acculturation: Further unpacking of adjustment mechanisms within the Russian-speaking community in Montreal

Recent years have witnessed a significant growth in the Russian-speaking community in Montreal, Canada. However, little is currently known about the predictors of psychological adjustment in immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU). In this study we explored the expectations that this group of immigrants (N = 271) hoped to fulfill in their adopted society, the extent to which these expectations have been fulfilled, and the impact of fulfilled expectations on psychological adjustment. We found that the degree of fulfilled expectations was significantly associated with better psychological adjustment independent of personality traits, language proficiency, and acculturation. These findings contribute to the literature on cross-cultural adaptation of immigrants from the FSU and highlight the potential importance of expectations for the study of acculturation more generally.

‘There Was (No) Lithuania Here’: Klaipėda after WWII – Memories of a New Society

[only abstract in English; full article and abstract in Lithuanian]
 In this article, I address an issue of how structures of cultural, national and generational memories are reproduced in the personalized narratives of the past, and how the meta-narratives of the society are adjusted to the needs of a person in constructing the meaning of the past. The article discusses the complex relationship between ideology and biographical memory: which expressions do individuals use in their personal life stories/family histories about life in postwar Lithuania, and how are the narratives structured by the idea of building a new society, which was a central constituent of the Soviet ideology? How was the image of a new society constructed in the Soviet times and which of its structural components are still actualized in personal life stories/family histories of today’s Russian-speaking community, which was the biggest ethnic group in postwar Klaipėda?The article starts with a brief introduction to the idea of this research and explains why it is focused on the Russian-speaking community in Klaipėda. Following an overview of historical studies on the migration of Russian-speaking people in postwar Lithuania gives a social and demographical profile of the context that structured the collective experience and memories. After an explanation of the analytical model and the methodological assumptions, I proceed to the narrative analysis of life stories/family histories told by Russian-speakers and explore how the narratives are structured by the ideology of the Russified Soviet identity and how this discourse is transformed. By investigating these transformations, I try to show the complex relations between direct and indirect experiences, collective memory as an ideological structure and a city as a living space of different social groups. The analysis of the life stories/family histories of the Russian-speaking community of Klaipėda supports the thesis that the family stories told by these people are transformed taking into account the personal and generational interests to display loyalty to their families and naturalized attachments to their place of residence.

Этапы становления Православия в Корее

The article is devoted to the history of the emergence of Orthodoxy on the Korean peninsula, as a logical continuation of the establishment and development of Russian-Korean relations in the late 19th century. The prerequisites for the emergence of Orthodoxy in Korea are described. Further, in chronological order, the activities of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Korea, beginning from 1897 to 1945, are presented. A representation is given of the activities of each of the representatives of the Russian Spiritual Mission, succeeding each other for 48 years. The evaluation of the activities of each of them is given. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of the activities of the “Patriarch” of the Korean Orthodox Church Archimandrite Chrysanthus (Christopher Petrovich Shchetkovsky) as the organizer of the Korean Orthodox Church, preacher and catechist, translator and spiritual writer. The article then analyzes the objective reasons for the transition of the Korean Orthodox Church to the omophorion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate after the end of the Second World War. The historical conditions under which the situation of the Korean Orthodox Church changed. In conclusion, an idea is given of the present situation of the Korean Orthodox Metropolis. A significant place in the description of the current situation of the church is information about the participation of the Russian-speaking community in the life and work of the Korean Orthodox Church.

Russian-speaking community of the State of Israel

The subject of the study are the features of the Russian-speaking community of the State of Israel. The author examines such aspects of the topic as: the nature of the community ties that are formed among the Russian-speaking Israelis and the status of the Russian language in Israel. An attention is also paid to the factors that contributed to the formation of a unique identity of the representatives of the «Russian Israel», to the main stages of the evolution of the Russian-speaking community in the political life of Israel and to the formation of the Russian media space. The Russian-speaking community is rightfully regarded as a long-term phenomenon, which is currently an important player in the political arena of the country. The novelty of the study is the implementation of a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of the «Russian Israel» on the basis of original sources. The main conclusion of the study: the territorial localization, the preservation of the cultural environment of the country of origin, the special status of the Russian language in Israel and its place in the media space, the maintenance of the community symbols of different nature, the program of socio-political development became the factors of the unification of the Russian-speaking community of Israel.

An exploratory study on the attitudes of elderly Finns towards Russian-speaking minorities

ABSTRACTResearch has shown Russian speakers in Finland are often victims of prejudice and discrimination. Utilizing integrated threat theory, this study investigated the extent to which threats are significant predictors of prejudice towards Russian speakers in Finland among a highly neglected research population – the elderly. This study also aimed at finding out which threat (realistic threat, symbolic threat, and negative stereotyping) was the most significant predictor of attitudes towards members of the Russian-speaking minority, and the extent to which men and women differed. In a sample of 90 participants, aged 65 and above, results indicated realistic threat and symbolic threat were not significant predictors of prejudicial attitudes towards members of the Russian-speaking community. Negative stereotyping however had a negative effect on prejudice. Moreover, contrary to previous research on prejudice, there were no significant differences between men and women on threat.