By us alone: army veterans, patriotic values and re-militarization of Russia, 1991-2022

This thesis investigates the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-1989) and two military operations in Chechnya (1994-1996, 1999-2000) and shows that they still have a significant impact on Russian society, influencing it in fundamental ways, from political and social processes down to the socialization of private citizens. My study contributes to answering two key research questions: in what ways do Russian citizens experience the shifts in social norms, conventions and public discourses brought home by former soldiers? And how exactly did the veterans of these wars become one of the powers supporting the regime? I show how the interests of veterans have been corresponding to, conflicting with, or existing in interplay with, the interests of the state during the last three decades, and how the wars made veterans continue building their self-identity in compliance with the narratives accepted by their comrades-in-arms. I also examine the social consequences of veterans’ exposure to violence in wartime, which include further violence in later wars, in criminal gangs, and at home. I look at changes in gender norms in post-war society and claim that army service has been crucial for shaping male identity, and a rise in militaristic masculinity became one of the legacies of these wars. The final question that I explore is the role of veterans in the militarization of Russian society through the implementation of the state programmes of “patriotic education”, which also play a significant role in normalizing violence and spreading it throughout Russian society. The discussion is based on my own semi-structured interviews with war veterans conducted in 2019-2021, and interpreted in terms of narrative analysis. They constitute completely new primary sources which can be used in future research