Georgian and Soviet: Entitled Nationhood and the Specter of Stalin in the Caucasus

Georgian and Soviet investigates the constitutive capacity of Soviet nationhood and empire, arguing that the postwar and post-Stalin era was decisive in the creation of a Georgian Georgia. This was due to the peculiar role played by the Stalin cult and the subsequent changes that de-Stalinization wrought among Georgia's populace and in the unusual imperial relationship between Moscow and Tbilisi. The Soviet empire could be repressive yet also encourage opportunities for advancement, and the creation of national hierarchies of entitlement laid a foundation for the claims of nationalizing states that would emerge from the empire's wake in 1991.

Format: Hardback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

The Soviet republic of Georgia, nestled in the picturesque Caucasus region, received the same nation-building blueprint as other national republics within the USSR. However, Stalin's Georgian heritage, profound understanding of Caucasian affairs, and personal involvement in local matters as he ascended to prominence left his homeland to confront a distinct set of challenges after his death in 1953.

Claire P. Kaiser, in her insightful work, argues that the postwar and post-Stalin era played a pivotal role in shaping a distinct Georgian Georgia. This was not solely due to the peculiar role played by the Stalin cult in constructing modern Georgian nationhood but also to the subsequent changes brought about by de-Stalinization, which impacted the Georgian populace and the unique imperial relationship between Moscow and Tbilisi. Kaiser delves into how the Soviet empire could be both repressive and offer opportunities for advancement, not only for individual careers but also for certain nationalities. She highlights how the creation of national hierarchies of entitlement was intricately linked to local and republic-level imperial imaginations, as well as those of a Moscow center.

Georgian and Soviet sheds light on the entitled, republic-level national hierarchies that the Soviet Union established, which laid the groundwork for the claims of nationalizing states that would emerge from the empire's collapse in 1991. Today, Georgia continues to grapple with the legacies of its Soviet century, and the Stalin factor continues to linger as new generations of Georgians reevaluate the complex and intertwined relationship between Soso Jughashvili and his native land.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 235 x 160 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501766794