title: The Return of the “Soviet” through the “National” in Post-Soviet Russia
abstract: Abstract The first chapter examines the phenomenon of a visible return of Soviet practices and institutions in “post-Crimea” Russia, along with the rising public support and approval for Joseph Stalin. Arguing against culturally based explanations that focus on the legacy of the Soviet man (homo sovieticus), it views these recent trends as a sign of strengthening of the Russian nationals’ sense of collective identity that is argued to be the most socially and politically significant achievement 