Galvanizing Nostalgia?: Indigeneity and Sovereignty in Siberia

Galvanizing Nostalgia? explores critical questions for the survival of Russia in its nominally federal form, highlighting Indigenous concerns about self-determination and ecology activism. It compares and contrasts interethnic relations, language politics, and the salience of gender, demography, resource competition, environmental degradation, and increased spirituality in strategically chosen republics.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Galvanizing Nostalgia? delves into crucial concerns for Russia's survival in its nominally federal structure. Will Russia succumb to the same fate as the Soviet Union, breaking apart along the lines of its internal republics? This book, based on cultural anthropology fieldwork and historical research in significant republics of Eastern Siberia—Sakha (Yakutia), Buryatia, and Tyva (Tuva)—underscores Indigenous voices advocating for self-determination. Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer posits that Russia has evolved into a complex system of nested sovereignties. The rise of ecology activism, fueled by emerging environmental threats and the urgent challenges of climate change, particularly in the Arctic, has gained momentum. By focusing on strategically chosen republics, the book enables a comparative analysis of interethnic relations, language politics, and the interplay of gender, demographics, resource competition, environmental degradation, and heightened spirituality. The dynamics between these republics and Moscow authorities exhibit diverse neocolonial relationships. Some local leaders, such as politicized shamans, harness nostalgia for cultural achievements to rally citizens. While cultural and political revitalization has been more feasible since the collapse of the Soviet Union, particularly in regions with their own republics, it remains a challenging endeavor.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 156 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501761317