Narratives of belonging in life stories of Russian minority in Latvia

Abstract

After the collapse of the Soviet Union considerable part of so-called Soviet citizens found themselves in a “foreign” country. Many of them applied for Russian citizenship, however significant part stay without any. There are popular discourses which aim to challenge former immigrants` identities in Latvia, and to handle with that people are developing personal narratives to adjust new identifications. How do people cope with the twist of history and sudden status of alien in the country they call, in fact, a homeland? In our studies of lives we combine oral history approach and narrative analysis of life story interviews to reveal complicated memories, ambivalent feelings and conflicting identities of those whose country of residence changed so radically.