PhD Candidate
Thesis topic: Reconceptualising ethnicity: self-identification of Russian citizens after the beginning of the war in Ukraine (24 February 2022)
Email anastasia.usovetskya@postgrad.otago.ac.nz
The ongoing war in Ukraine, which began in 2022, is influencing how people from Russia understand and express their ethnic identities. The war has triggered significant social and political changes in Russia, including a sharp rise in emigration. In times of crisis, individuals may begin to identify themselves in ways that differ from official categories, such as those used in government records. This study examines how Russian emigrants are rethinking or redefining their ethnic belonging in response to the war and its broader impacts. It aims to understand how political events shape identity and to develop new methods for analysing how ethnicity is linked to people's experiences and perspectives in evolving contexts.