Claiming the Diaspora: Russia’s Compatriot Policy and its Reception by Estonian-Russian Population
Publisher: ECMI Volume: 25 pages, pdf Description: An EU border town 150 km from St. Petersburg with an overwhelmingly Russian-speaking population, Narva has become a focal point of discussion for political analysts and journalists over the real intentions of Russia’s foreign policy and of its compatriot policy, which is seen as one of its main working tools. Academic debates have generally focused on the dynamics of Russian-Baltic relations after the collapse of the USSR, looking more deeply into energy and trade interdependence and regional and international security issues (Muižnieks 2006; Šleivyte 2010; Berg & Ehin 2009). Other authors have turned their attention to the dynamics of the relations between the titular and Russophone populations in post-Soviet countries (Kolstø 1995, 1999, 2000; Smith ed 1996; Tishkov 1997; Laitin 1998; Zevelev 2001; Lauristin & Heidmets 2003; Korts 2009).