Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T03:31:36.063Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

“Soviet mentality?” The role of shared political culture in relations between the Armenian state and Russia's Armenian diaspora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Kristin Cavoukian
Kristin Cavoukian*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Toronto, Canada, Email: kristin.cavoukian@utoronto.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Russia's Armenians have begun to form diaspora institutions and engage in philanthropy and community organization, much as the pre-Soviet “established” diaspora in the West has done for years. However, the Russian Armenian diaspora is seen by Armenian elites as being far less threatening due to a shared “mentality.” While rejecting the mentality argument, I suggest that the relationship hinges on their shared political culture and the use of symbols inherited from the Soviet Union in the crafting of new diaspora and diaspora-management institutions. Specifically, “Friendship of the Peoples” symbolism appears to be especially salient on both sides. However, the difference between old and new diasporas may be more apparent than real. The Russian Armenian diaspora now engages in many of the same activities as the Western diaspora, including the one most troublesome to Armenia's elites: involvement in politics.

Keywords

diasporaArmeniaSoviet mentalityRussiapolitical culture
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 41 , Issue 5 , September 2013 , pp. 709 - 729
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Afyan, Hovik. 2010. “Issues of the Armenian Community in Russia Discussed During Abrahamyan-Esayan Meeting.” Azg Daily, February 24 2010. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.azg.am/EN/20100224.Google Scholar
Agadjanian, Alexander. 2001. “Revising Pandora's Gifts: Religious and National Identity in the Post-Soviet Societal Fabric.” Europe-Asia Studies 53 (3): 473–488.Google Scholar
Almond, Gabriel. 1956. “Comparative Political Systems.” The Journal of Politics 18 (3): 391–409.Google Scholar
“Ara Abrahamyan is Convinced, Armenians in Russia Don't Have Any Problems.” 2010. Epress.am 18 October 2010. http://www.epress.am/FNew.aspx?nid=6444.Google Scholar
“Armenian Opposition Politician Attacked.” 2006. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, December 8, 2006. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1143771.html.Google Scholar
Basch, Linda, Glick Schiller, Nina, and Szanton Blanc, Cristina. 1994. Nations Unbound: Transnational Projects, Postcolonial Predicaments, and Deterritorialized Nation States. Longhorne, PA: Gordon and Breach.Google Scholar
Blakkisrud, Helge, and Nozimova, Shahnoza. 2010. “History Writing and Nation Building in Post-Independence Tajikistan.” Nationalities Papers 38 (2): 173–189.Google Scholar
Brubaker, Rogers. 2005. “The ‘Diaspora’ Diaspora.” Ethnic and Racial Studies 28 (1): 1–19.Google Scholar
Campbell, Beatrix. 1991. “1989 and All That.” Feminist Review 39 (Autumn): 119–123.Google Scholar
Foundation, Civilitas. 2009. Armenia in 2009: Promise and Reality. Yerevan: Civilitas Foundation.Google Scholar
Dittmer, Lowell. 1977. “Political Culture and Political Symbolism: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis.” World Politics 29 (4): 552–583.Google Scholar
Doroga Dlinoyu v Pyat’ Let: Illustrirovannoye Izdaniye, Posvyashchennoye 5-letney Deyatel ‘nosti Soyuza Armyan Rossii. 2005. Yerevan: Soyuz Armyan Rossii.Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, David. 2009. A Nation of Emigrants: How Mexico Manages its Migration. Berkeley: U of California Press.Google Scholar
“French Legion of Honor Awarded to Ara Abrahamyan.” PanArmenianNetwork, July 28 2005. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=14328.Google Scholar
Gevorgyan, Siranush. 2009. “Giving Thanks: Donors pledge nearly $16m for Pan-Armenian Charity.” ArmeniaNow. 27 November 2009. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.armenianow.com/news/19371/giving_thanks_donors_pledge_nearly.Google Scholar
Gevorkyan, Aleksandr V., Mashuryan, Karina, and Gevorkyan, Arkady. 2006. “Economics of Labor Migration from Armenia: A Conceptual Study.” Working paper No. 06/05 (January). Armenian International Policy Research Group. http://www.aiprg.net/UserFiles/File/wp/jan2006/wp05-06.pdf.Google Scholar
Grigoryan, Marianna. 2010. “Baby Bonuses Spark Birthrate Spike in Nagorno-Karabakh.” EurasiaNet 24 February 2010. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav022410.shtml.Google Scholar
Hirsch, Francine. 2005. Empire of Nations: Ethnographic Knowledge and the Making of the Soviet Union. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
“Hranush Hakobyan's speech at the meeting with the Armenian Union of RF, July 23, 2008.” 2009. In Armenia-Diaspora Partnership: Selection of Official Materials (June 2009 – October 2009): 301–3. Yerevan: Mughni.Google Scholar
Kalantarian, Karine. 2005. “Moscow Tycoon Reveals Ransom For Release Of Armenian Pilots.” Armeniapedia, September 28, 2005. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Ara_Abrahamyan.Google Scholar
Kaun, Alexander. 1939-40. “Historical Sense in Soviet Fiction.” The Slavonic and East European Review 19 (53/54): 55–61.Google Scholar
Laguerre, Michel S. 2009. “The Transglobal Network Nation: Diaspora, Homeland, and Hostland.” In Transnationalism: Diasporas and the Advent of a New (dis)order, edited by Ben-Rafael, Eliezer, Sternberg, Yitzhak, Bosker Liwerant, Judit and Gorny, Yosef, 195–210. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill NV.Google Scholar
Laitin, David D. 1998. Identity in Formation: The Russian-Speaking Populations in the Near Abroad. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Lisovskaya, Elena, and Karpov, Vyacheslav. 1999. “New Ideologies in Postcommunist Russian Textbooks.” Comparative Education Review 43 (4): 522–543.Google Scholar
Margaryan, Varvara. 2009. “Armyanskaya Diaspora Kubani: Problemy Sokhraneniya.” In The 1946-1948 Repatriation and its Lessons: The Issue of Repatriation Today. Pan-Armenian Conference Collection of Papers. Yerevan, Arm.: Limush, 12-14 December 2008. 306–323.Google Scholar
Mikheyev, Dmitry. 1987. “The Soviet Mentality.” Political Psychology 8.4 (Dec): 491–523.Google Scholar
Ministry of Diaspora, Official Website. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://mindiaspora.am.Google Scholar
Mitra, Saumya, Andrew, Douglas, Gyulumyan, Gohar, Holden, Paul, Kaminski, Bart, Kuznetsov, Yevgeny, and Vashakmadze, Ekaterine. 2007. The Caucasian Tiger: Sustaining Economic Growth in Armenia. Washington D.C.: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank.Google Scholar
“Moscow-Based Tycoon Criticizes Armenian Government.” 2006. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. May 17, 2006. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1143635.html.Google Scholar
Oussatcheva, Marina. 2001. “Institutions in Diaspora: The Case of Armenian Community in Russia.” Working Paper Series. Oxford University Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Transnational Communities Programme, http://www.transcomm.ox.ac.uk/working%20papers/WPTC-01-09%20Marina.doc.pdf.Google Scholar
Panossian, Razmik. 2003. “Courting a Diaspora: Armenia–Diaspora Relations since 1998.” In International Migration and Sending Countries: Perceptions, Policies and Transnational Relations, edited by Ostergaard-Nielsen, Eva, 140–168. Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Payaslian, Simon. 2007. The History of Armenia: From the Origins to the Present. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
“Recommendations of the Policy Seminar on Diaspora and Homeland Development.” 10-11 April 2008, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. International Organization for Migration. Accessed March 1, 2012. http://www.iom.md/materials/13_diaspora_seminar_recommend_eng.pdf.Google Scholar
Roman, Meredith L. 2002. “Making Caucasians Black: Moscow Since the Fall of Communism and the Racialization of Non-Russians.” Journal of Communist Studies and Transition Politics 18 (2): 1–27.Google Scholar
“Russia Overview”. World Bank. Accessed March 10, 2012. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/russia/overview.Google Scholar
Safran, William. 1991. “Diasporas in Modern Societies: Myths of Homeland and Return.” Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies 1.1 (Spring): 83–99.Google Scholar
Safran, William. 2004. “Deconstructing and Comparing Diasporas.” In Diaspora, Identity and Religion: New Directions in Theory and Research, edited by Waltraud Kokot, Khachig Tölölyan and Alfonso, Carolin, 9–29. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Shahnazaryan, Nelson. 2003. “Oligarchs in Armenia.” Working papers. Armenia 2020. Accessed 10 March 2010. http://armenia2020.org/index.php/en/activities/researches/0/l0/.Google Scholar
Shain, Yossi, and Barth, Aharon. 2003. “Diasporas and International Relations Theory.” International Organization 57 (Summer): 449–479.Google Scholar
Sheffer, Gabriel. 2003. “From Diasporas to Migrants — From Migrants to Diasporas.” In Diasporas and Ethnic Migrants: Germany, Israel and Post-Soviet Successor States in Comparative Perspective, edited by Münz, Rainer and Ohliger, Rainer, 21–36. London: Frank Cass.Google Scholar
Shlapentokh, Vladimir E. 1985. “Two Levels of Public Opinion: The Soviet Case.” The Public Opinion Quarterly 49.4 (Winter): 443–459.Google Scholar
Slezkine, Yuri. 1994. “The USSR as a Communal Apartment, or How a Socialist State Promoted Ethnic Particularism.” Slavic Review 53.2 (Summer): 414–452.Google Scholar
Smith, Robert C. 2003. “Diasporic Memberships in Historical Perspective: Comparative Insights from the Mexican, Italian and Polish Cases.” International Migration Review 37.3 (Fall): 724–759.Google Scholar
Statistical Yearbook of Armenia 2009. National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia. http://armstat.am/file/doc/99458138.pdf.Google Scholar
“The History of SAR [Soyuz Armyan Rossii, Union of Armenians of Russia].” Films by SAR-TV Broadcasting Company. Union of Armenians of Russia. DVD.Google Scholar
Tilly, Charles. 2005. Identities, Boundaries, and Social Ties. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Press.Google Scholar
Tölölyan, Khachig. 2007. “The Armenian Diaspora and the Karabagh Conflict Since 1988.” In Diasporas in Conflict: Peace-makers or Peace-wreckers?, edited by Smith, Hazel and Stares, Paul, 106–128. New York: United Nations University Press.Google Scholar
“Traditional Armenian Woman is Good Mother, Daughter, Wife: RA Diaspora Minister.” 2010. Epress.am, October 8, 2010. Accessed October 8, 2010. http://www.epress.am/FNew.aspx?nid=5721.Google Scholar
“Trade and Economic Cooperation Between Russia, Armenia “Unique”” Yerevan Report, March 4, 2010. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.yerevanreport.com/2010/03/04/trade-economic-cooperation-between-russia-armenia-unique/.Google Scholar
Weitz, Eric D. 2002. “Racial Politics without the Concept of Race: Reevaluating Soviet Ethnic and National Purges.” Slavic Review 61.1 (Spring): 1–29.Google Scholar
Wendt, Alexander. 1999. Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
“Who is Ara Abrahamyan?” 29 May 2009. Armenian Reporter. Accessed March 10, 2010. http://www.reporter.am/index.cfm?objectid=B29C2C6E-4C8E-11DE-98B80003FF3452C2.Google Scholar
Williams, Brian G. 2001. The Crimean Tatars: The Diaspora Experience and the Forging of a Nation. Leiden, Neth: Brill.Google Scholar
Zakarian, Armen. 3 January 2005. “Russian-Armenian Tycoon Unhappy With Yerevan.” Azatutyun Radio. Accessed March 15, 2010. http://www.azatutyun.org/content/article/1575929.html.Google Scholar
“200 Thousand Armenians in Moscow.”Azg Daily, Nov 2007. Accessed March 11, 2010. http://www.azg.am/EN/2007100507.Google Scholar
“2002 All-Russia Population Census.” Vserossiiskaya Perepsis Naseleniya 2002 Goda. Accessed September 1, 2008. http://www.perepsis2002.ru/.Google Scholar