Succession and Empire: How Imperial Continuity Undermines the Formation of a National Identity in Russia

This paper examines how imperial continuity has obstructed the development of a coherent post-Soviet national identity in Russia. The unresolved identity crisis shaped both domestic politics and foreign policy, contributing to the revival of expansionist discourse and actions - most notably the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The idea of "historical Russia" filled the void left by the absence of a forward-looking national vision.