The Image of Russia in Ghana (1945-2018): Legacies of Cold War Narratives

The Cold War is one of the most explored periods in contemporary times. Out of it have emerged interesting academic discussions in the history of the world. The continent of Africa was no exception as events in the war went a long way to shape their economies and socio-political lives. It has however also played a key role in shaping the minds of most African countries towards the USSR and the United States due to the major role propaganda played in the views expressed by both powers around the period. This research sought to pay particular attention to how the events in the war shaped people’s perception of Russia (which is internationally recognized as the successor state to the Soviet Union) in Ghana. In light of this, this research, explored and answered questions such as what relationship existed between Russia and Ghana during the era of the Cold War; the transformation and changes these relationships have undergone after the war; what other narratives and relationships were available in Ghana during the war that countered Ghana’s relationship with Russia and how has these narratives shaped people’s perception of Russia in contemporary times? The work further looked at the image of Russia as against the United States in Africa after the end of the Cold War and how the events in the war went a long way in shaping their perceptions of Russia in Ghana. A semi-structured interview was employed with the aim of getting a clear understanding of the subject matter with strong backings of primary and secondary sources. The research has shown that Russia was judged from its Soviet past and the work has also proved that a “Subconscious image” of Russia is formed (i.e. the first thing that comes to mind when Russia is mentioned) and Russia is absent rather strictly tag negative in Ghana.