To Speak or Stay Silent? Russian Migrants in Norway and the Dilemma of Political Protest during the War in Ukraine

This article provides a sociological analysis of (the absence of) political protest among Russian migrants following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We compared the narratives of Russian migrants in Norway who participated in anti-war protests with those who identified as ‘outside of politics’ [внеполитики]. The study anchors the interviewees’ narratives about their reactions to the war by typologising two frames of reference: a frame of ‘avoiding politics’ that considers politics useless and dangerous and a frame of ‘democratic ideals’ that renders political activity relevant and important. However, several interview narratives oscillate between these two frames, indicating an ambivalent relation to political involvement, their stories forming a tapestry of both legitimation and rejection of political participation. We posit that such oscillation between available frames of interpretation is an important aspect of individuals’ responses to shocking political events.