Titular Identification of Russians in Former Soviet Republics

THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION provoked a dramatic change in the status of the 25 million Russians residing in the 14 non-Russian successor states. Overnight they became ethnic minorities. They lost their dominant position to the titulars, i.e. the national populations after which the newly independent republics are named. Russians, the core nation of the USSR, often had not assimilated into the union republics outside the Russian Federation, they had not learned the local language, and they did not identify with their republic of residence or with the titular population. They now found themselves in 'nationalising' states in the 'near abroad' and thus had to consider the nature of their national identification.' How do people react if their in-group loses societal status? ......