Unrecognized states seek legitimacy, both domestic and international. The most recent unrecognized state is the Russian backed 'Donetsk People's Republic' (DNR) in South-Eastern Ukraine. The DNR...Show moreUnrecognized states seek legitimacy, both domestic and international. The most recent unrecognized state is the Russian backed 'Donetsk People's Republic' (DNR) in South-Eastern Ukraine. The DNR presents itself with their 'state' media, published on-line in Russian and English. This thesis analyzes the media with the help of Analyzing the articles published, it becomes clear the legitimation strategies of the DNR focus on highlighting the differences between the DNR, which is portrayed as the victim, and Ukraine, which is portrayed as the agressor. The strategy is based more on discrediting Ukraine than promoting the DNR. Such a strategy may be relatively successful, given that local attitudes are relatively anti-Ukrainian due regular shelling and the predominance of Russian news media in the region. The English language articles follow the same line. However, these articles do not reach a wide audience and the effect on international legitimacy is negligible.Show less
The problem of the Genitive of negation is one of the most up-to-date in current Russian linguistic discussion. The nature of the Genitive Rule in Russian is still unclear and the register of...Show moreThe problem of the Genitive of negation is one of the most up-to-date in current Russian linguistic discussion. The nature of the Genitive Rule in Russian is still unclear and the register of papers devoted to this scientific question grows constantly. The Genitive Rule is also popular topic for researchers, whose scientific interest belongs to other Slavonic languages (for instance, Polish) or the same language family (for example, Lithuanian). Considering the relevance of the problem, it was decided to find out if the Genitive Rule also exists in Latvian language. During the theoretical part of the work, it turned out that, it is possible to use the negated Genitive in place of the Accusative with the transitive verbs, however, the use of the negated Genitive is rather archaic; it is stylistically marked, and, as a rule, it occurs in fiction. The negated Accusative shows dominance in modern literary Latvian. However, since literary Latvian is very young (about one hundred years), since the dominance of the negated Accusative in old Latvian was not proved, and, finally, since no special papers devoted to the Genitive of negation in Latvian exist, it was aimed to make a quantitative analysis of the situation in Old Latvian and Latvian dialects. For the above mentioned purposes, Latvian popular songs (dainas) were taken as a main source. The analysis of the work was carried out manually. After analyzing more than 20000 dainas, it was found out, that the negated Accusative was not unambiguously dominant before Latvian was codified. In additon to that, it was proved than in one region of Latvia (Latgale) the negated Genitive occurred even more frequent. The results and the corpus of current thesis could be very useful for further semantic and syntactic research.Show less
This thesis set out to determine the way in which the state-controlled media of the separatist-held territory of Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine have framed the separatist narrative. This is done...Show moreThis thesis set out to determine the way in which the state-controlled media of the separatist-held territory of Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine have framed the separatist narrative. This is done through a framing analysis of a selection of articles that were chosen and sampled according four different time-frames over the years 2017 and 2018. These periods correspond to events that led to heightened tensions in the conflict between Ukraine and DPR, namely: ‘the battle of Avdiivka’, ‘the economic blockade’, ‘the death of Zakharchenko’ and the ‘Kerch Strait incident’. Six frames were inductively reconstructed and grouped into three categories according to their relation with Ukraine, DPR and Russia. With regards to Ukraine the following frames were found: Ukraine as an aggressor’; ‘Ukraine as a disruptor’; ‘weakness and incompetence of Ukraine’. Frames related to DPR consisted in ‘legitimacy of DPR’ and ‘DPR citizens as victims’. Lastly, the frame that emerged in relation with Russia was ‘Russia as a mediator’. The findings of this study suggest state-controlled DNR-News has framed the separatist narrative with the help of two dominant approaches. One that is inclusive of Russia by representing it as an actor primarily responsible for ensuring DPR’s continuous existence and the success of its separatist ambitions. In a different approach, DPR’s independence is marked as a significant goal even though Russia has not yet recognised its independence and it does so by claiming the right to self-determination. There is thus an attempt at finding a right balance between the two and in turn, render the fight for the separatist cause more plausible.Show less
This thesis examines the Turkish histories of Tatar Jadidism appeared after 1991, when the Soviet archives had opened up to provide researchers with the newly available primary sources. A thorough...Show moreThis thesis examines the Turkish histories of Tatar Jadidism appeared after 1991, when the Soviet archives had opened up to provide researchers with the newly available primary sources. A thorough discussion and the positioning of these histories in the broader research agenda on Jadidism, has not been done yet. Besides the Turkish historiography, two more geographically located historiographical traditions exists; the Soviet and the Western. The Soviet discourse did not survive, whereas the Western underwent significant revisions in the new era. Based on comparisons in time of new Turkish histories and Cold War Turkish works, the changed perspectives from secular-nationalist to religious oriented, have been unfolded. In the comparisons between each other, the new Turkish histories either show the tendency of a traditional religious discourse nested in the Islamic scholastic scholarly domain, or an almost-secular reformist one that perceives the Jadid attempts as not bounded by the scholastic tradition. In result, neither the strong ideological framing of the Cold War does prevail anymore, nor can speak one of a thorough revision of the new histories; a ‘lighter’, de-ideologized construction of Cold War Jadidist narratives continues, by shedding light on the previously underlit religious aspects of the movement.Show less
Since independence, Kazakhstan has promoted different conceptions of national identity: an “ethnic” discourse that promotes the titular Kazakh nation, a “civic discourse” that revolves around inter...Show moreSince independence, Kazakhstan has promoted different conceptions of national identity: an “ethnic” discourse that promotes the titular Kazakh nation, a “civic discourse” that revolves around inter-ethnic harmony, and a “transnational” discourse that is focused on international prestige. For long, scholars have debated which of these discourses has been dominant, or whether these discourses have been promoted simultaneously. This thesis contributes to the growing body of work on Kazkakhstan’s nationhood process by looking at the competing nation-building narratives that are presented through two sport projects: the Astana Pro cycling team, and the promotion of Kazakh national wrestling. The analysis has made clear that the wrestling and the cycling projects are each used to promote different elements of Kazakhstan’s national identity; while the wrestling emphasizes the ethnic conception of Kazakh identity, the Astana Team is more focused on gaining international prestige. At the same, time, the narratives and symbolism used in the two projects are often ambiguous and sometimes even contradictory. Thus, this thesis has shown that competing nation-building narratives are promoted simultaneously and as such, it has highlighted the complex and hybrid nature of Kazakhstan’s nation-building process.Show less
Kazakhstan is a consolidated authoritarian regime that introduced in 2017 a new set of amendments titled “On Changes and Amendments to Some Legal Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Countering...Show moreKazakhstan is a consolidated authoritarian regime that introduced in 2017 a new set of amendments titled “On Changes and Amendments to Some Legal Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Countering Extremism and Terrorism”. The amendments concern migration, freedom of religion, communication and circulation of weapons and thereby increase restrictions on human rights. They functioned as a reaction to three events that took place in 2016: an amok-run in Almaty, a serious act of terrorism in Aktobe and nation-wide protests. All of these events were untypical for the otherwise stable situation in Kazakhstan. This master thesis analyses whether the amendments content reflects their creators rational (event-specific) decision-making or whether it represents the next step of a developmental trajectory that is locked-in by long established legal provisions (path dependence)and maintained by irrational decision-making (e.g. habits).Show less
An examination of siloviki representation in key positions of power during Putin's third presidential term compared to his earlier terms in order to ultimately challenge the alleged link with...Show moreAn examination of siloviki representation in key positions of power during Putin's third presidential term compared to his earlier terms in order to ultimately challenge the alleged link with increased authoritarianism since the 2011/2012 protests.Show less
The political history and lived experience of Russians in the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia plausibly constitutes an historic example of civic Othering. The hybrid, multi-layered identities...Show moreThe political history and lived experience of Russians in the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia plausibly constitutes an historic example of civic Othering. The hybrid, multi-layered identities and subjective perceptions of nationality amongst these communities have been covered by academic research. At the same time, Latvia and Estonia have engaged in the political dialogue of ‘Europeanization’ as Member States of the European Union, as part of a top-down process to understand and, at times, promote a common ‘European identity’, which has also been frequent analyzed and discussed in academic literature. While both these aspects of research have been extensive, there has been less contemporary investigation at their crossroads: European identity amongst Russians in Estonia and Latvia. This paper performs a ‘research synthesis’ type of meta-analysis on academic and policy papers to shed light on this potential gap between academic literature and policy research. Its conclusions have implications for researchers and practitioners of both kinds, as well as grounds to consider the gap as a form of ‘methodological Othering’ itself.Show less
This research maps the development of Russian sport-fishing from 1847 until it had become a highly popular leisure activity in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. It first investigates the literary...Show moreThis research maps the development of Russian sport-fishing from 1847 until it had become a highly popular leisure activity in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s. It first investigates the literary and material angling framework established by such writers as Sergey Timofeevich Aksakov (1791 - 1859), Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev (1844 - 1898) and some of their pre-revolutionary successors such as Pavel Gavrilovich Cherkasov, Anatoliy Dimitrievich Shemansky and Feopempt Paramonovich Kunilov. The second part investigates the ways in which Soviet officials instrumentalized the activity to raise health standards and influence social behaviors. They did so by incorporating the activity into the Soviet policy of Fizkul'tura (Physical Culture and Sports). As such, it became tied to labour unions, the komsomol and various other institutions and enterprises which highly attributed to the popularisation of the activity. This soon caused the regime some notorious issues, most notably in the areas of environmentalism and industrial output, which are extensively treated in the third and final part of this research.Show less
Italy is one of the European countries which have relatively good trade and investment relations with Russia. These two countries have historic links especially in the fields of trade and...Show moreItaly is one of the European countries which have relatively good trade and investment relations with Russia. These two countries have historic links especially in the fields of trade and investments, and after the fall of the Communism but especially in the last decade their relations have been greatly improving and several new business deals are planned. Italy represents one of Russia's most important trading partners in the world. Nowadays Italy is the 4th largest foreign trade partner and the 3rd among European Union countries. During recent years several political meetings between the two countries' authorities have been organized, helping to develop a special, broad, strong and strategic Italian- Russian collaboration based on mutual trust and support.Show less
Since the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding...Show moreSince the Euromaidan uprising of 2013-2014, Ukrainian political leaders have made serious commitments to strengthening ties between Ukraine and the EU, and this is one of the main guiding principles for contemporary Ukrainian politics. This thesis seeks to understand how a pro-European attitude is reflected in the everyday, private living space of ordinary Ukrainians, which was and often still is heavily influenced by the Soviet past, but is moving toward Europe along with the rest of Ukrainian society. This thesis explores what the ‘European life’ means for Ukrainians living in Kyiv, and aims to understand how the generally pro-European political orientation in Ukraine is reflected in the construction of new housing and the desires Ukrainians have for their living space.Show less
An examination of how Vladimir Putin's state building process has engaged with Russia's Imperial past through the examination of academic articles, contemporary newspaper articles and official...Show moreAn examination of how Vladimir Putin's state building process has engaged with Russia's Imperial past through the examination of academic articles, contemporary newspaper articles and official speeches.Show less
