Thread by @OxanaShevel

Current debate over #visabanforrussians - whether it unduly victimizes "good 🇷🇺" & unjustly imposes collective responsibility, or whether it is warranted cuz russians do in fact bear collective responsibility for their govt action - echos a similar debate from early 1990s. A 🧵1/

In late 1980s-early 1990s in the Baltic states push for indepdence from USSR was supported by some "good" russians (who supported Baltic popular fronts) and opposed by other russians (who supported pro-USSR "Interfronts"). 2/

Once 🇪🇪 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 gained independence they instituted citizenship laws that excluded from citizenship many local russians. Who - together with russian liberals in Moscow - became very upset at this "unjust" policy. 3/

While russian liberals argued that they were good since (some of) them supported Baltic independence, Balts claimed that (most) russians did not renounce their imperial identity, were a potential threat to the newly independent state's independence, and had to earn citizenship 4/

2 be fair & more specific, 🇪🇪&🇱🇹 (but not 🇱🇻) early laws had clauses allowing russians who supported independence before Soviet collapse to gain citizenship easier. But back to the actual debate. 5/

Were 🇷🇺s unjustly victimized by Baltic citizenship laws? After all many were sent there by Soviet state without their consent & were not direct participant in repressions of 1930s-1950s. Weren't they just victims of Soviet regime like anti-war russians are in Putin's 🇷🇺today? 6/

Yes & no - and here come echos 2 current visa ban debate. (Vast majority of) russians don't want 2 accept collective responsibility 4 murderous actions & colonial oppression of regimes were they r main group. It was so in USSR, and is so now in 🇷🇺 - even if it's "complicated" 7/

USSR was a comminist but also 🇷🇺 empire were russians were politically (though not institutionally) privileged group - closest to Soviet ideal, only group enjoying cultural rights like native lang education thru the whole country, occupying top positions in the party etc. 8/

But there was no decolonization of hearts & minds of russians in 🇷🇺 after 1991. Russians didn't want 2 feel responsibility 4 mass oppression of Balts, Ukrainians & other minorities by Soviet state. Instead they cast themselves as equal (if not greater) victim of Soviet regime 9/

The compex truth is that while russians were victims of soviet regime, they were also main privileged group then (& under tsarism). Facing this reality - like white Americans who acknowledge their "white priviege" even if their ancestors were not slave holders - is possible 10/

But it's a conscious choice. Once this choice is made & becomes starting point, u can then ponder & debate extent of responsibility (2go with (imperfect) US analogy, r poor whites benefiting from white privilege as much as rich whites? what abt white immigrants who r othered 11/

Had russians taken collective responsibility for imperial & Soviet colonization crimes & then debated its extent & complexities 🇷🇺 likely would have been a different state now 12/

By the same token, if russians today were 2 take responsibility 4 murderous war 🇷🇺 regime unleashed in their name (yes, Germany's analogy applies here) they can then debate w/others appropriate extent & forms of this responsibility. But instead we (primarily) see self-pity 13/

🇷🇺 missed opportunity 2 decolonize their psyche & identity & build post-Soviet 🇷🇺 into a "normal country" - still plenty big but minding its business in its international borders - in 1991. Now is another chance. Don't blow it, "good Russians." /End

@KuldkeppMart @EricaMarat going to tag you two here.