The Politics of (Historical) Love: On Patriotism, National History and the Annexation of Crimea
Journal: Europe Asia Studies
Year: 2024

This article shows how the presumed historical importance of ‘unification’ with Crimea ensured Russian public support for its annexation. Based on the analysis of patriotic discourse in Russia, I show how within its frame the terms ‘People’, ‘Russia’ and ‘Motherland’ correspond to sacred non-human beings. The ontological gap between them and humans is mediated by means of national history: created by human subjects, history ultimately belongs to the Russian nation. In this context, loving Russia