The movement of people has been one of the most consequential results of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their destroyed places of residence, but alongside, hundreds of thousands of Russians have also fled home. This talk takes a look at rare survey data on the social and political views of Russian speaking migrants in five countries. Face-to-face surveys have been conducted in the summer of 2023, providing unique insights into the extent to which the Russians who have left their home country differ from those that have stayed put. The surveys enquire into social and political attitudes and behaviour of those who have left and try to assess their transnational connections. The paper will put the emphasis on exploring the solidarity among new Russian communities as well as the solidarity with Russians left behind. Using fusion theory allows us to identify which members of the Russian community have developed a visceral, family-like sense of unity or “identity fusion” with their group. The surveys allow an investigation into the political and social implications of different degrees of unity that people express with other groups and thereby highlights the importance of horizontal solidarity for migrant self-organisation under extreme circumstances.

Short bio: Félix Krawatzek is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin as well as an Associate Member of Nuffield College. He is the PI on the ERC-funded research project “Moving Russia(ns): Intergenerational Transmission of Memories Abroad and at Home” (MoveMeRU) and his research focuses on post-Soviet politics and European politics more broadly with a particular interest in the role of youth in politics, the significance of historical representation in political processes, and questions related to migration and transnationalism.

The lecture is organized by the Global studies research programme and open to everyone interested.

For more info, please contact:
Birgitte Beck Pristed, Global studies dep., CAS: birgitte.pristed@cas.au.dk