Making Russians : meaning and practice of russification in Lithuania and Belarus after 1863 / Darius Staliunas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Staliūnas, Darius.

Series:

On the boundary of two worlds ; 11.

On the boundary of two worlds ; 11

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Russification--Belarus.

Russification.

Russification--Lithuania.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (480 p.)

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; New York : Rodopi, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Making Russians is an innovative study dealing with Russian nationalities policy in Lithuania and Belarus in the aftermath of the 1863 Uprising. The book devotes most attention to imperial confessional and language policy, for in Russian discourse at that time it was religion and language that were considered to be the most important criteria determining nationality. The account of Russian nationalities policy presented here differs considerably from the assessments usually offered by historians from east-central Europe primarily because the author provides a more subtle description of the aims of imperial nationalities policy, rejecting the claim that the Russian authorities consistently sought to assimilate members of other national groups. At the same time the interpretation this study offers opens a discussion with western and Russian historians, especially those, who lay heavy emphasis on discourse analysis. This study asserts that the rhetoric of officials and certain public campaigners was influenced by a concept of political correctness, which condemned all forms of ethnic denationalisation. A closer look at the implementation of discriminatory policy allows us to discern within Russian imperial policy more attempts to assimilate or otherwise repress the cultures of non-dominant national groups than it is possible to appreciate simply by analysing discourse alone.

Contents:

Preliminary Material

Introduction

Administrative Boundaries and Nationality Policy

The Search for a Nationality Policy Strategy in the Early 1860's

The Meanings of Russification

Separating “Them” from “Us.” Definitions of Nationality in Political Practice

Confessional Experiments

Metamorphoses in Language Policy

Conclusions

Notes

Bibliography

List of Illustrations

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [417]-456) and index.

ISBN:

1-282-26584-9

90-420-3132-8

1-4356-1240-X

OCLC:

714568428