Integration or Alienation? Russians in the Former Soviet Republics

On numerous occasions Russian officials have pointed to the existence of 25 million ethnic Russians in the non-Russian Soviet successor states as a source of great concern. Indeed, 'the new Russian diaspora' is numerically by far the largest minority group created by the break-up of the Soviet Union. It is not, however, a foregone conclusion that its existence will necessarily lead to political instability in Eastern Europe. Whether or not this will happen primarily depends on three circumstances: the attitudes and actions of the state authorities and titular nations in the new states, the political course taken by the Russian Federation, and finally the behaviour of the Russian minorities themselves. These three variables interact with each other, and may foster either the integration of the Russians into their new homelands or their social marginalization and political alienation.