Broadening Russiaʹs borders?: The nationalist challenge of the Congress of Russian Communities

This article draws upon the work of Rogers Brubaker and Alexander Motyl in order to analyse the challenge posed by the Congress of Russian Communities (KRO), a Russian nationalist organisation aiming to reunite all Russians in an expanded Russian state. It is argued that the Tsarist and Soviet past structure relationships among the post-Soviet states in ways that both promote Russian homeland nationalism, and place limits on it: while Russian policy has been driven towards claiming responsibility for `compatriots abroadʹ, the post-Soviet states have tended to recognise each otherʹs sovereignty in order to boost their legitimacy and prevent geopolitical destabilisation. Following discussion of the theoretical frame, the historical context and issues of Russian identity, the article focuses on the KROʹs attempts to expand Russiaʹs borders. First, its ideology, and particularly the radical commitment to national reunification, is discussed. Secondly, the KROʹs attempts to promote geopolitically radical national minority stances among Russians outside the Russian Federation (particularly in Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Estonia) and homeland stances within it (through lobbying and electoral politics) are examined. These attempts have been generally unsuccessful. The KRO is also distinguished from its two major competitors, the Liberal Democratic Party of Vladimir Zhirinovksy, and the Communist Party. It is concluded that radical Russian nationalist organisations such as the KRO are unlikely to be able to challenge the post-Soviet geopolitical status quo in the absence of more aggressive nationalising policies towards Russian minorities and official Russian backing.