Beyond Russianness: Post-Soviet Subjectivities in Wartime
This essay addresses the concept of post-Sovietism as an analytical and identity category in light of the geopolitical transformations of recent years, foremost among them the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The author analyzes the tension between the factual construction of post-Sovietism – as an experienced identity – and its ethical construction, as an external identification. Focusing on the Russification process of 1990s immigrants in Israel, she demonstrates how a homogeneous “Russian” identity was imposed on immigrants in Israeli society in a manner that corresponded to local ethno-national, religious, and gender stratification. Through a multi-axial feminist prism, the essay reveals the complexity of the experience of “Russian” women in Israel, who stand at a crossroads where processes of ethno-religious transparency and marking meet persistent institutional suspicion of their Jewishness.
Drawing on Julia Lerner’s conceptualization, the author proposes that post-Sovietism be perceived as a transnational cultural condition characterized by hybridity and multiple histories, rather than a static, essentialist category. While there is significant criticism of the Russian imperial logic involved in the concept, its outright rejection could lead to the erasure of rich cultural experiences. Instead, the essay proposes using post-Sovietism as a dynamic analytical tool that allows us to understand the rejection of “Russianness” itself as an integral part of the cultural transformations that take place under war.
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