The Popular Geopolitics of the Russian Diaspora in Estonia: Gaps, Cleavages, Disconnections

Abstract

In this paper, I am studying narratives of Russian immigrants who settled in Estonia and share anti-Putin and anti-war attitudes. I argue that they differ dramatically in their discursive strategies. My research shows that a major dividing line is the one separating those immigrants whose narratives are predominantly Russia-focused from those who seek to integrate themselves into the broader Estonian and European agenda of supporting Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression. The existence of these two groups does not, however, prevent many Russian immigrants from seeking a balance between the two positions.