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Representations of the past in the Estonian Russian-language press: “own” or diaspora memory?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Triin Vihalemm  and
Valeria Jakobson
Triin Vihalemm*
Affiliation:
Institute of Journalism and Communication, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Valeria Jakobson
Affiliation:
Institute of Journalism and Communication, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
*
* Corresponding author. Email: triin.vihalemm@ut.ee
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Abstract

The article discusses the much-debated issue of collective identity among the Estonian Russian-speaking population from a different prism – based on representations of the past in the local Russian-language press in 2009. Assuming that representations of the past offer references for present-day identity construction, the study is aimed at revealing which identity patterns were supported and which were rejected by journalists and other speakers in the press. The analysis suggests that the “memory divide” is not only connected with WWII, as is widely believed in Estonia, but runs further down at the imaginary time-scale. Although the analysis revealed a strong prevalence of local-scale events, the mode of representations could not help to develop “own” local identities, either in a civic or emancipatory form. By the evaluation of events, actors and the stylistic means, the Russian-language press rather constructed the identity of the imperial diaspora. The existing State Integration Program aims at strengthening civic identity and activity, but it does not have a say in history politics. However, the latter is needed in order to give more space for private memories, critical reflection and the search for ways to (re)define the group in relation to space, time and other groups.

Keywords

identitycollective memoryRussianpost-SovietEstonia
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 39 , Issue 5 , September 2011 , pp. 705 - 731
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

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