On the debates regarding the “decolonization” of Russia
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the debate about “decolonizing” Russia has moved rapidly from the realm of academia and cultural criticism to that of actual politics. Demands to “decolonize Russia” are voiced by opposition activists from Russia’s “national republics” (such as Buryatia or Bashkortostan) as well as from Ukrainian and some European […]
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the debate about “decolonizing” Russia has moved rapidly from the realm of academia and cultural criticism to that of actual politics. Demands to “decolonize Russia” are voiced by opposition activists from Russia’s “national republics” (such as Buryatia or Bashkortostan) as well as from Ukrainian and some European politicians. Among Russian opposition emigrants, reflections on the causes of the invasion have also led to a search for its foundations in the country’s imperial past. At the same time, the issue of “decolonization” occupies an important place in the rhetoric of the Russian authorities: on the one hand, Vladimir Putin views “separatism” as the main threat to national security, and on the other, he calls on the countries of the Global South to fight against “Western colonialism”.