Paper abstract:

The focus of the paper is on the changing Chuvash perception of their own identity against the background of the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine. Out of a wide definition debate on “ethnic identity” the author has turned to the interpretation by Benedict Anderson of an “imagined community”. According to this approach, each individual defines for themselves their self-identity. A person’s sense of ethnic group membership and evaluation for personal identity can change over time, as a result of exploration, and in the context of other social and institutional realities. The war in Ukraine has produced an immense impact on this development. Throughout the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods, the Chuvash people themselves were not open about their ethnic identity. The negative stereotypes were quite common, and many Chuvash in urban areas tried to conceal their identity. The census numbers showed a significant decline of Chuvash language speakers. The population was becoming more urbanized and assimilated into a predominant Russian culture. In order to succeed at studies or work in a federal government agency or business, a fluent level of Russian was required. Many parents did not teach Chuvash to their children. With the Russian aggression of Ukraine, the following tendency can be witnessed. The recruitment into “volunteer” battalions from ethnic minority regions lead to many questions among Chuvash concerning the need to fight in this war. The “partial” mobilization only exacerbated the already dire situation. Lots of villages were left without any conscription-age men, that vividly brought in memory the scenes from World War II. Some opposition groups have clearly called it genocide. The younger generation has started rethinking their identity. The war has served as a push to re-think the Chuvash identity.

The paper will focus on how young Chuvash themselves identify themselves. Through the discourse analysis of official government mass media, social media posts, and virtual ethnography methods, the author will present their view on the change in the perception of the Chuvash identity.

The current trend is growing despite the government's efforts to steal the ethnic identity agenda, but there are significant limitations to its growth.