| Publication |
2011.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Russia's attitudes toward millions of Russophones in the Newly Independent states (NIS) have been noted, since 1991, for their ambivalence. The concept of a "Russian diaspora" has been pursued as an ethno-selective ideological project. On the practical-political level, however, Russian authorities were obliged to rest upon a loose notion of "compatriots." In this article, "virtual diasporization" is juxtaposed with Russophones' identities and behavior to substantiate the point that these populations do not possess the "diasporic" features ascribed to them. Moreover, official Russian policies have failed to evoke any "diasporic" sentiment within Russophones toward their putative "homeland." I argue that, to be more realistic and responsive, these policies should be more sensitive to commonalities and zones of common interest between Russophones and the titular populations of the NIS.
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