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“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: [email protected]
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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 

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