Postcolonial Meets Post-Soviet: At the Crossroads of Divergent Voices and Layered Silences

Abstract

The academic debate around the applicability of postcolonial hermeneutics to Ukraine that resurfaced in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion does not take place in a vacuum: it unfolds as part of a broader inquiry that has emerged following the so-called "imperial turn" in the study of the post-Soviet space. The heterogeneity of this space is profound, although its common denominators, such as the continuous subjugation of its many constituents by Russia, cannot be overstated. This article pertains to the genealogy of the application of postcolonialism to "all things post-Soviet" and discusses different scholarly perspectives in this regard, including those critical of the region's postcolonial credentials. Ultimately, it argues that the merger of the two "posts," in addition to theoretical innovation, requires self-reflexivity and a nuanced sensitivity to the lived realities on the ground.