College Honors Program

The Russian World in Estonia, Europe’s Achilles Heel? The Impact of Russia’s Diaspora Politics on National Identity and Minority Rights in Estonia from 1988 to 2015.

Date of Creation

5-6-2024

Document Type

Campus Access Only

First Advisor

Ward Thomas

Abstract

Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, the Russian Federation has adopted the terms “compatriots abroad” and the “Russian World” to conceptualize and interact with its diaspora. These terms' application reflects a conflict between the diaspora’s symbolic role as a reminder of former power and its practical role as a means of influence. In recent years, Russia’s diaspora politics - its interactions with the diaspora - have become more active, progressing from a mere concept to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. For Estonia, a Baltic republic of 1.3 million, the ramifications of this trend are significant. Its Russian population, which constitutes nearly a quarter of its population, is caught between diaspora politics and a domestic nation-building project. Current research into Russia’s diaspora politics and the minority in Estonia typically focuses on the impact of European organizations like the Council of Europe or the European Union. I conducted a longitudinal, qualitative study of Russia’s interaction with its diaspora in Estonia via Russian state media and institutions from 1988 to 2015 to understand the effectiveness of Russia’s diaspora politics in instrumentalizing the diaspora, its impact on national identity, and its impact on minority rights (i.e. citizenship and language). In my research, I found that while Russia’s diaspora politics grew more aggressive, its diaspora's use as a means of influence was blunted by a strengthening of Estonian national identity and the gradual integration of Russians into Estonian society.

Comments

Reader: Amy Singleton Adams

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