The Politics of Nationalism in the Republic of Sakha (Northeastern Siberia) 1900-2000: Ethnic Conflicts Under the Soviet Regime

This is a critical examination of the concept of Natsionalizm, a social phenomenon used by the Soviet Union to crack down on dissidents. This concept of nationalism was a force used to suppress thought, particularly in Sakha, a Siberian republic in Northeastern Russia. This book is a study of natsionalizm, a social phenomenon and a process that affected people's lives in the Soviet period. The book examines case-studies of public accusations of natsionalizm during the twentieth century in Sakha (Yakutia), located in Northeastern Russia. The author argues that these accusations were manipulated by the Soviet government to disguise and prevent discussion of a range of complex social, political and ethnic issues. She parallels accusations of natsionalizm with witch-hunting, scapegoating, and the expression of xenophobia. The phenomenon of natsionalizm is juxtaposed with state-imposed silence. This innovative case-study deals with silent pasts and analyzes domination and resistance, self-determination and self-representation.