Hostages of the past. Russia’s historical policy as a new round of ethnic repression in the post-Soviet space (2010 – 2020s)

Historical politics in Russia reflects the incompleteness of transition in the process of democratic transition, exposing the dramatic consequences of the shortcomings of the institution of transitional justice and civic initiatives for discussing the totalitarian past. As a corollary, the lack of transition becomes the basis for the proliferation of new discriminatory measures based on ethnic and political issues and rooted in historical battles over memory. Relying on a strategy of silence and denial, contemporary political elites in Russia seek to recreate a new image of the totalitarian past, emphasising those examples that can serve as a consolidating factor for the nation.