Fighting for the Soviet Union 2.0: Digital nostalgia and national belonging in the context of the Ukrainian crisis

This paper focuses on the use of Soviet-era symbols, myths, and narratives within groups on VKontakte social media site over the initial stage of the Ukraine crisis (2014–2015). The study is based on qualitative content analysis of online discussions, visual materials, and entries by group administrators and commentators. It also applies link-analysis in order to see how groups on social media are interrelated and positioned online. It reveals that these online groups are driven primarily by neo-Soviet myths and hopes for a new version of the USSR to emerge. Over time, the main memory work in these groups shifted from Soviet nostalgia and “pragmatic” discourse to the use of re-constructed World War II memories in order to justify Russian aggression and to undermine national belonging in Ukraine. Reliance on the wartime mythology allowed for the labelling of Euromaidan supporters as “fascists” that should be eliminated “once again.” This powerful swirl of re-created Soviet memories allowed effective mobilization on the ground and further escalation of the conflict from street protests to the armed struggle.     

Demographic trends in the Soviet Union

Current population trends in the USSR are reviewed, with particular reference to data available from the 1981 census. Topics considered include regional demographic variations, ethnic fertility differentials, the effects of deteriorating health care, and the continuation of Islamic cultural influences. The political and economic consequences of current demographic trends are discussed.     

苏联解体与苏联海军的命运

考察苏联解体后苏联海军的命运有三个视角:一是苏联海军是怎样被分割的;二是分割苏联海军过程中最难解决的问题;三是作为苏联海军主要继承者的俄罗斯海军发展趋势如何。本文介绍了独联体国家对前苏联海军瓜分情况,分析了独联体国家在瓜分苏联海军过程中存在的主要矛盾,最后对俄罗斯海军的发展战略和趋势作了探讨。