Evolving Baltic Russophone Identity: Politics, Boundaries, and Media Dynamics

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

Over the past three decades, Russian-speaking residents of the Baltic states have been situated within a complex relational framework, which connects kin states, national minorities, resident states, and international institutions. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 has significantly disrupted this framework.
For Baltic Russophones, identifying culturally with Russia has always been a nuanced issue, but the invasion has now rendered it not only complex but also morally contentious. In the Baltic states, there is strong social pressure to denounce Russia and express support for Ukraine. This scenario places Russophone communities, especially in Latvia and Estonia — EU countries with the highest proportions of Russian-speaking minorities — in an unprecedented position of existential challenge, casting new uncertainties on the nature of Russophone identity.
This panel aims to delve into the evolving identity dynamics of Latvian and Estonian Russophones in the aftermath of Russia's invasion. It will specifically examine the processes of boundary formation, political behavior, and media practices. The panel will explore how Russian-speakers' perceptions of Russia and the "nationalizing states" of Latvia and Estonia have shifted, influencing their sense of belonging. It will also investigate the ways Russian speakers navigate their position regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine and what the media consumption patterns of Baltic Russian-speakers during the conflict reveal about their identity. Through three interconnected papers, the panel will address these critical questions, offering insights into the complex identity transformations among Baltic Russophones in current geopolitical circumstances.

Sub Unit

• Sociology, Public Health, Education

Chair

• Matthew Reichert, Harvard U

Papers

• Deciphering the Hesitancy Towards the War: Baltic Russophones and Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine - Martins Kaprans, U of Latvia (Latvia)

• Questioned Loyalties, Mixed Attachments: What Future for the Russian Minority in Latvia? - Inta Mierina, U of Latvia (Latvia)

• The Impact of War in Ukraine and the Ensuing Ban of Pro-Kremlin News Providers on Media Use and Trust among Baltic Russian-Speakers - Janis Juzefovics, Riga Stradins U (Latvia)

Discussant

• Anastassia Zabrodskaja, Tallinn U (Estonia)