Empire, Union, Rossiia
The Symbolic Politics the Occupiers in Ukraine
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Since its attack on Ukraine, Russia has been using all means of symbolic politics in an effort to justify the occupation and annexation of territories in the southeast of its western neighbour. Above all, toponyms from the era of the Russian Empire play a major role. But emblems and posters also display historical imagery that is supposed to justify the violent appropriation of territory. Soviet symbols, such as the monuments to Lenin that have been returned to public spaces, serve the same purpose. The occupiers are very restrained in their use of Russian toponyms from the Tsarist era and today’s.
(Osteuropa 12/2022, pp. 13–45)