CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Saakyan, Ani |
|---|---|
| Title | Occupied identity: The Russification and the Reclamation of Ukrainian Personal Names |
| Summary | This study examines the phenomenon of Russification of Ukrainian personal names under the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and explores how this process is remembered, interpreted, and challenged by contemporary Ukrainians. Situated at the intersection of the sociology of names, (post-)memory studies, and identity studies, the research is structured around these questions: (1) What were the common pathways leading to the Russification of personal names of Ukrainians? (2) How is the knowledge about these changes transmitted, remembered, and discussed within families? What intergenerational differences emerge in how these changes are perceived, and how do they affect personal and collective identities? (3) What motivates individuals today to reclaim their Ukrainian personal names, and what social, psychological, or bureaucratic barriers complicate or prevent this process? Between the lines, it investigates the notions of agency vs. structure, and resistance. The study draws on 30 in-depth interviews with Ukrainians who shared stories of Russification of personal names in their families. The findings reveal that for many, personal names function as deeply symbolic markers of identity and memory, the legacy of Russification evokes different emotional responses across generations, and the act of reclaiming Ukrainian names often becomes an emotionally charged expression of cultural resistance, self-determination, and the effort to restore cultural continuity disrupted by imperial violence. At the same time, many encounter significant mental and bureaucratic barriers along the way. |
| Supervisor | Rajaram, Prem Kumar; Trencsényi, Balázs |
| Department | Sociology MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/saakyan_ani.pdf |
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