ABSTRACT
This chapter will explore the issues and dilemmas of marginalised voices in criminology through the lens of Russian criminology. It will start by exploring the Soviet and post-Soviet periods in the development of the discipline in Russia, looking at the reasons why it has remained relatively unknown in other parts of the world. It will consider the historical legacies as well as political and ideological factors contributing to the marginalised status of Russian criminology. The impact of western knowledge and the legacy of Soviet Marxist approaches will be considered. Can Russian criminologists overcome their marginalisation? It will be argued that significant barriers to Russia’s criminology gaining a voice remain, not least the tendency towards self-isolation rooted in an identity crisis, adherence to past epistemologies, and the disciplinary boundaries of law, and state policies towards criminology and social sciences more generally. The war in Ukraine raises new questions for criminology, such as the relevance of Russia’s colonial history to understanding the current events. The chapter argues that although Russian criminology does not easily fit in the postcolonial and decolonial dichotomies, it is important for it to engage with decolonial critiques and discourses. The prospects for Russian criminology to overcome its marginalisation are discussed in light of the above trends.
