ABSTRACT
This chapter examines minority policies in the context of unfolding socio-political circumstances in Russia. It is argued that the statism and centralism favoured by Putin leadership result in homogenising tendencies, leading to enhanced uniformity and the downgrading of ethnicity. The chapter further outlines the complexities deriving from Russia's diversity, which have resulted in a drive for a strong state and enhanced uniformity. It identifies and analyses the promotion of a civic Russian identity to the detriment of minority identities, and re-structuring of the Russian Federation to reduce salience of ethnicity. The impulse towards homogenisation stems from the complexities posited by high levels of diversity in Russian society. The Soviet nationalities policy hinged on a link between ethnicity and territory, yet ethnic federalism did not help a large number of persons of non-Russian ethnicity. Non-Russian groups can be accepted into a patriotic scheme, by adapting to an ethnic/civic form of nationalism, and directly or indirectly acquiescing to the reassertion of Russianness.
