Проблемы национальной идентификации, культурные и политические связи России со странами Балтийского региона в XVIII–XX веках ред. по Р. Бютнер, В. Дубины, М. Леонова (review)

699 Ab Imperio, 4/2004 ше Латгале. Аспекты латыш- ской истории в монографии фактически не представлены. Наряду с евреями, немалая роль в регионе принадлежала немецкой и русской диаспорам, которые также выпали из сферы внимания автора. За рамками исследования осталась и про- блематика, связанная с истори- ей Украинской и Белорусской ССР после 1945 г. Ко всему прочему, Снайдер совершенно не уделяет внима- ния теоретическим аспектам проблемы региональных раз- новидностей национализма. Более глубокое осмысление ее, как, впрочем, и критический взгляд на современные под- ходы к изучению феномена национализма в мультиэтнич- ном регионе, на котором сфо- кусирован нарратив Снайдера, могли бы, несомненно, придать его работе методологическую солидность. Подбор источников, на осно- ве которых написана моногра- фия, демонстрирует еще один изъян в методологии автора. Он почти полностью прене- брег текстами на литовском и белорусском языках. Попытка компенсировать их отсутствие англоязычными публикациями себя явно не оправдывает. Wim van MEURS Проблемы национальной иден- тификации, культурные и полити- ческие связи России со странами Балтийского региона в XVIIIXX веках / Под ред. Р. Бютнер, В. Дубины, М. Леонова. Сама- ра: “Парус”, 2001. 284 с. ISBN: 5-7967-0090-1. Russian-Baltic relations are by no means a neglected topic in nationalism studies, history, political science, or international relations. Yet, the topic has witnessed some paradigmatic changes in the past decade or two. The 22 authors of the present volume (most of them in their thirties) are young enough not to be inhibited by the traditional perspective charged with ideological anti-communism, belief in the righteousness of national liberation, and more often than not, anti-Russian sentiment. At the same time, they are experienced enough as researchers to have witnessed the initial wave of studies of the early 1990s on national identity and state building in the Baltic region based on the theories of the GellnerAnderson -Hobsbawm triumvirate. Conversely, a large part of studies on the Baltic region published in the Russian Federation after the demise of the USSR tended to reflect partisan positions on the fate 700 Рецензии/Reviews of the new Russian diaspora. Thus, a volume with contributions by younger researchers from Russia, the US, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, and the UK is uniquely placed to define a new research agenda. The authors have made a determined effort to counter the predominantly negative perception of RussianBaltic relations today. The fact that most articles are either in Russian or English and some in German (without summaries ) may be a consequence of the quasi-samizdat character of the book. Thus, some articles may be inaccessible to some readers , but at least the authors themselves have used a wide variety of sources – ranging from Estonian and Russian archives to academic literature in a dozen languages. It is, however, puzzling why neither the Russian and English titles nor the introductions in both languages are identical. Or why it is “social thought” in the title, “obshchestvennaia mysl’” in the Russian and “political thought” in the English table of contents. Quite remarkably, however, the authors’ collective managed to publish the book in 2001, only a few months after the confe-rence “Political and cultural relations between Russia and the countries of the Baltic region, 1700 – 2000.” The articles in the first half of the book deal with the political and military relations between states, between entities within the Russian Empire, and between ethnic groups. Karsten Brüggemans dissects the complexities of EstonianWhite Army collaboration against the Bolshevik regime in the Russian Civil War around Petrograd. His measuring stick, however, is not a one-dimensional contrast between a movement for national liberation and the imperialistic strategy of the White gene-rals. The intricacies of the regional and local level put both movements and their objectives into a different perspective. The analysis moves beyond generic conclusions on “the Estonians” or “the Whites” and also includes insights on the political thinking of the leaders involved. Plans to lure the Estonians into joining the White attack on Petrograd as well as the White forces serving as Estonia’s “border guards” both upset typical narratives of national history. Bradley Woodworth’s contribution on the monument for Peter the Great erected in Tallinn in 1910 and torn down in 1922 is typical for the volume. The topic may be highly specific, but it acquires a broader relevance as it demonstrates and differentiates attitudes of Baltic Germans, Russian officialdom, and Estonians toward the tsarist empire. The Ritterschaft , the Estonian-dominated 701 Ab Imperio, 4/2004 Tallinn city council and the tsarist administration all joined forces in this project, but for a wide variety of (opposite) reasons. The author not only identifies typical motives such as restating the privileges granted by the famous tsar (Baltic Germans), the alliance with Petersburg as a counterweight to Baltic German dominance (the Estonians), and Russia’s role in Baltic history (local Russian officials ), but also dissects more subtle divergences and shifts within these groups. Thus, this example indicates that the process of nation building in these regions was neither premeditated nor unequivocal. Unlike most other chapters, Lea Lennik’s contribution on the role of the Governor General in three centuries of Baltic history is rather descriptive. This may be due to her contention that the Governor General is obligatorily mentioned in...