Good and Bad Russians: Rearticulation of Russian National Identity in Post-Invasion Facebook Discussions

This thesis explores how Russian national identity is rearticulated by opposition-minded Russians on Facebook following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Drawing on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory, the study examines posts by public figures labelled as “foreign agents” by the Russian state. These individuals, who reside outside Russia, use Facebook to discuss national identity in the context of war, repression, and emigration. The analysis identifies three central subject positions: “Them,” encompassing Putin, the state, elites, the military, and the “silent majority”; “The West,” portrayed both as a cultural aspiration and a political reference point; and “Us,” the anti-war in-group. The in-group identity is constructed through open opposition to the war, commitment to democratic values, and a sense of collective moral responsibility. However, internal disagreements reveal contested boundaries, particularly regarding appropriate behaviour in wartime, such as participating in elections or emigrating. Despite these divisions, two stable nodal points unify the discourse: consistent support for political prisoners and the positive articulation of Alexei Navalny as a symbol of resistance. Other issues emerge as sites of ongoing discursive struggle. The war is widely framed as a historical rupture, often likened to World War II, with Russia depicted as a fascist state and Putin as a nuclear-era Hitler. Additionally, structural issues such as gender inequality, imperial legacies, underrepresentation of minorities, and economic disparity are identified as key challenges that must be addressed to build a better future.