Memory and the everyday geopolitics of tourism: Reworking post-imperial relations in Russian tourism to the ‘near abroad’
Память и повседневная геополитика туризма: переосмысление постимперских отношений в российском туризме в «ближнее зарубежье»
2022-06-18
SCID: 54.1/ptv449rx
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imperial nostalgiamemory productionpost-Soviet citiesqualitative interviewstourism geopolitics
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Abstract (AI)
This article examines the geopolitical implications of memory production in Russian tourism to post-Soviet cities. Based on fifty qualitative interviews conducted in Tallinn, Kyiv and Almaty in 2019, it reveals how, by remembering the shared Tsarist and Soviet past, tourists rework relations to places that used to be part of their own state. Tourist memories are ambiguous, showing imperial nostalgia for a former homeland as well as recognising the significance of national independence. Bringing together perspectives from memory studies and tourism geopolitics, this article illuminates how memory is implicated in the construction of geopolitical relations and shows the significance of everyday encounters that tend to remain below the radar of researchers.
Key Findings
1
Based on fifty qualitative interviews in Tallinn, Kyiv, and Almaty, it finds that tourists recall shared Tsarist and Soviet histories to reinterpret these places.
2
Everyday tourist encounters contribute to reworking post-imperial relations, revealing geopolitical processes often overlooked by researchers.
3
The article demonstrates the value of integrating memory studies and tourism geopolitics to understand how geopolitical relations are constructed through ordinary experiences.
4
The study shows that memory production in Russian tourism shapes geopolitical relations with post-Soviet cities formerly incorporated into Russia’s state.
5
Tourist memories are ambivalent, combining imperial nostalgia for a former homeland with recognition of the importance of national independence.
Research Object
Russian tourism to post-Soviet cities in the ‘near abroad’ (Tallinn, Kyiv, and Almaty)
Research Subject
The geopolitical implications of tourists’ memories of the shared Tsarist and Soviet past, including imperial nostalgia and recognition of national independence, in reworking post-imperial relations
Publication Details
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2022-06-18
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