Report on ' Deadlock of the Tsarist Nationality Policy in the Western Borderlands (Late Imperial Period) ' by Darius Staliūnas

On May 16, 2019, Dr. Darius Staliūnas (Lithuanian Institute of History) will speak on 'Deadlock of the tsarist nationality policy in the western borderlands (late imperial period)'. The event is organised by Poletayev Institute for Theoretical and Historical Studies in the Humanities.

 

Abstract:
The question raised in this paper is whether the tsarist government had a clear nationality policy concept in the Northwest Region in 1905-1915, i.e., one that in its own view could produce results, at least to ensure the loyalty of non-dominant national groups. I'll argue that tsarist officials had problems finding this kind of strategy, and practically reconciled themselves to the disloyalty of the non-dominant national groups (or at least their elites) to the Romanov Empire. I will carry out this particular study by distinguishing between the imperial nationality policy and nationalist nationality policy strategies, which are understood here as ideal types. The first strategy is one where the main aim was to ensure the loyalty of Russians and non-Russians alike, without trying to change their ethno-cultural identification by force, but rather by tolerating it. The second one, meanwhile, is where the road to political loyalty is perceived as going through cultural homogenisation, that is, the political loyalty of non-Russians has to be secured by applying assimilation and acculturation policies, and in cases where that is impossible, or such policies have failed, segregational political measures are applied and ethnic Russians are protected. Imperial nationality policy regarding Poles, Lithuanians, and Belorussian Catholics will be analysed in this paper.

Start time: 18:00
Address: 20 Myasnitskaya Ulitsa, room 309
Working language: English
If you need a pass to HSE, please contact andrewa.ilyin@gmail.com.