Performing Nationalism in Russia

This Element shows the performative strategies of the Russian state to uphold its nationalist project and map theatre artists' resistance.

This Element focuses on the cultural geography of today's Russia and examines a range of performative strategies used by the Russian state to uphold its nationalist project. It also maps artistic strategies of resistance to the ideology of nationalism.Following Homi Bhabha's prompt on reading nationalism as a set of discursive and performative practices, this Element focuses on the cultural geography of today's Russia and examines a range of performative strategies used by the Russian state to uphold its nationalist project. Simultaneously, it maps artistic strategies of resistance to the ideology of nationalism as employed by both state-funded and independent theatre companies, via new dramaturgies, performance practices and strategies of storytelling.