Between proud and indifference: emotions toward Russian nation in unsettled time

The article analyses the emotional aspect of national identity in Russia. The author asks how citizens experience and express their sense of belonging to the Russian nation during periods of significant political change. The article’s theoretical framework lies at the intersection of several research areas, including everyday nationalism, identity politics, affective citizenship and the role of emotions in collective action. The article views emotions relating to the nation as a complex phenomenon, shaped by the actions of political figures and the daily practices of ordinary citizens. The study’s empirical basis comprised 32 semi– structured interviews with Russian citizens conducted from winter to spring 2024. This enabled the identification of both short-term emotional responses to political events and more enduring sentiments towards the national community. The results revealed the complexity, ambivalence and variability of emotions towards the nation. People experience many feelings simultaneously, some of which may be contradictory. At the same time, the same emotions (such as pride or fear) can be associated with different phenomena and have positive or negative connotations. Additionally, emotions were considered in relation to the behavioral practices of Russian citizens. The study demonstrated the non-linear nature of this relationship, showing that the same emotions, when manifested in different combinations, lead to opposite practices. The author's proposed explanation links the variability of how emotions are converted into everyday practices with the citizens' experience of political socialization and political activity, as well as the pursued identity politics.

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