‘Is it Genocide or not?’ Some Considerations about the Ethnic Cleansing and Punishment System in Soviet Union (1930s-1950s)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2612-6672/27745Keywords:
Eastern European Studies, Stalinism, History of camps, Genocide Studies, Transitional JusticeAbstract
This study examines Stalin-era ethnic cleansing in the Soviet Union, focusing on the mass repression and deportation of groups such as the Volga Germans and Crimean Tatars. It introduces the debate, supported by specific evidence, about the deliberate oppression of ethnic minorities as part of Stalinist Soviet policy, as legitimised by legal measures. Through actions such as forced relocation, executions and cultural suppression, the analysis explores how Soviet policy aimed to dismantle ethnic identities without outright destruction. It situates these actions within genocide studies, drawing on the theories of Raphael Lemkin and UN definitions. Ultimately, it calls for a nuanced view of ethnic persecution in the USSR, emphasising the legal and historical impact of these localised acts of genocide on the communities affected.
References
Mark Levene, The Meaning of Genocide, vol 1 - Genocide in the Age of the Nation State, I.B. Tauris, London, 2008.
Raphael Lemkin, Axis rule in occupied Europe, Carnegie Endowment for International, Washington, 1944.
Tishkov, V. (1997). Ethnicity, Nationalism and Conflict in and after the Soviet Union: The Mind Aflame. Sage Publications.
Kappeler, A. (1989). The Russian Empire: A Multi-Ethnic History. Longman.
Luciuk, L. Y., & Grekul, L. (2008). Holodomor: Reflections on the Great Famine of 1932-1933 in Soviet Ukraine. Kashtan Press.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Iuliia Iashchenko, Andrea Carteny
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