Russians in Exile in the Digital Age, 5 cr

The course studies the conditions of exile – in which the political aspect of displacement is accentuated – as large socio-cultural and political phenomenon affecting peoples and societies at different levels. The course invites students to ponder on problems of knowledge and cultural production in exile, significance of exilic professional communities for home and host countries, politics of exile.

The course places these problems into the context of Russia after February 2022, when a massive exodus of people occurred. The course puts a special attention on the defining role of digital technologies that on one hand empower exilic communities but on the other hand create new forms of (dis)connection with home and host countries.

This course brings together experts in Russian studies to examine how different aspects of exile processes and to explore the role of digital technologies for the practices in exile.

While the lectures focus primarily on the case of Russia, throughout the course the students will be invited to reflect on the discussed questions in relation to other countries and ponder how the (dis)similarities of the cases can be explained.

The course is suitable for all students interested in Russian studies, migration studies, and digital media and internet studies.

This lecture course is funded by Russia and Eastern Europe Studies (REES) network. The course is organized by Tampere University.