A protester rallies against Russia’s “partial”military mobilization in the republic of Buryatia’s capital, Ulan-Ude, in September 2022. PHOTO: T.ME/BAIKAL_PEOPLE

A protester rallies against Russia’s “partial”military mobilization in the republic of Buryatia’s capital, Ulan-Ude, in September 2022. PHOTO: T.ME/BAIKAL_PEOPLE

Peer-reviewed articles Anti-war movements from Russia’s national republics Intersections of gender, sexuality, and decoloniality

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, various ethnic protest and anti-war movements from Russia’s national republics have called for decolonization. While the focus of these initiatives lies in regional politics and ethnic and Indigenous rights, the movements also address women’s and LGBTQ rights. Based on content analysis of seven ethnic anti-war initiatives, this article examines the themes and frameworks through which questions related to gender and sexuality are addressed within the activist agendas of these initiatives. The analysis shows that while these questions play only a minor role in the ethnic anti-war activism, they are used to articulate systemic oppression and the harmful impact of Russian state policies on people in the national republics. Taken together, the ways in which gender and sexuality are discussed bring out the activists’ search for a discursive position between Russian and Western political and discursive regimes.

Published in the printed edition of Baltic Worlds BW 2026:2, pp 60-71
Published on balticworlds.com on May 29, 2026

article as pdf Comments Off on Anti-war movements from Russia’s national republics Share
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Pusha
  • TwitThis
  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Digg
  • Maila artikeln!
  • Skriv ut artikeln!

abstract

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, various ethnic protest and anti-war movements from Russia’s national republics have called for decolonization. While the focus of these initiatives lies in regional politics and ethnic and Indigenous rights, the movements also address women’s and LGBTQ rights. Based on content analysis of seven ethnic anti-war initiatives, this article examines the themes and frameworks through which questions related to gender and sexuality are addressed within the activist agendas of these initiatives. The analysis shows that while these questions play only a minor role in the ethnic anti-war activism, they are used to articulate systemic oppression and the harmful impact of Russian state policies on people in the national republics. Taken together, the ways in which gender and sexuality are discussed bring out the activists’ search for a discursive position between Russian and Western political and discursive regimes.

KEYWORDS: Ethnic minorities, anti-war activism, ethnic activism, decolonial activism, decolonial feminism.

FULL ARTICLE AS A PDF FOR FREE DOWNLOAD, SEE UPPER RIGHT CORNER.

Eeva Kuikka

  • Peer-reviewed articles are scientific articles.

    Peer-reviewed articles have all been through a peer-review process. We practice double-blind peer-review. All material is reviewed by two independent specialists at least at post-doc level. A prerequisite for publishing scientific articles in Baltic Worlds is that the article has not already been published in English elsewhere. If an article is simultaneously being considered by another publication, this should be indicated when submitting.

    Would you like to contribute to Baltic Worlds? Click here!