The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A View from a Post-Soviet Borderland

Is the invasion of Ukraine just another step in Russia’s empire-building?

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Dr. Zhigunova will explore Russia’s complicated past with its neighbors, and the relationship it has with non-Russian ethnicities living within and outside of Russian borders.

For observers of Russian history, the invasion of Ukraine is not as an isolated incident but rather a pattern. For years, Putin has questioned the legitimacy of former Soviet republics and now wants to turn back the clock to the time of Imperial Russia. This rhetoric of Russia’s 'greatness and exceptionalism' can be seen across its modern history. The Russo-Circassian War (1763-1864) resulted in over 90% of the Circassian population to be either killed (by starvation or disease) or forced into exile, while the remaining 10% were subjected to divide-and-conquer micro-nationalist policies. Many experts call the treatment of the Circassians a genocide, yet Russia has re-written the official account in a way that completely effaced Circassians and eliminated any traces of their presence in the North Caucasus region.

Will Ukraine face a similar struggle? Or will Putin’s imperialistic views be forced to change?