The Motherland Is Calling: Views of Homeland among Russians in the Near Abroad

Do Russians in Central Asia and other parts of the former Soviet Union see Russia as their homeland? Do they want Russia to defend their interests? How united are they in their views? This article examines these questions through the analysis of surveys conducted among the Russian population in four post-Soviet states--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Ukraine--as well as in focus groups in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Although many Russians have emigrated from the Central Asian countries, and some from Belarus and Ukraine, those who have stayed do not fit the common assumption that Russians are a potential fifth column who favor interference by Moscow and view Russia as their external "homeland." There is, instead, a great deal of heterogeneity among these ethnic Russians. Whether they identify Russia or their current country of residence as their homeland depends powerfully on where they were born and how long they have lived in their current country of residence. Those Russian-born Russians who have chosen their current state of residence as their homelands tend to score high on pride in their country of residence, have confidence in its political institutions, and show a commitment to remain in the country. Even those Russian-born Russians who consider Russia to be their homeland do not look positively on the Russian Federation's intervention in local affairs. The results suggest that while the motherland may be calling, Russians who remain in the near abroad are not answering the call.