Imperial Hybridity and the Persistence of Hierarchy: Non-Russian Rights After 1905

• In Event: Imperial Policy and Politics of Difference in the Russian, Habsburg, and Soviet Imperial Formations in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

This paper argues that despite the formal granting of the same rights to non-Russians during the 1905 Revolution—such as the right to publish in their respective languages—the traditional imperial approach persisted, adjusting these rights based on a region's position within the Russian mental map and the perceived hierarchy of enemies. Over time, this differentiated treatment became more pronounced. To illustrate this argument, the paper examines two key examples: the teaching of religion for non-Orthodox confessions and the regulation of cultural associations. The main factors behind the strengthening of differentiation after 1905 were the hybridity of imperial composition and the growing influence of Russian nationalism.

Author

• Darius Staliunas, Lithuanian Inst of History (Lithuania)