open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/38698

The Analysis of the "Matrioshka" Structure of Ethnic Problems during the Decline of the Soviet Era : The Case Study of the Problem of Polish-Lithuanians

日本語

2007

北海道大学スラブ研究センター

Slavic Studies

54

101-130

The purpose of this paper, dealing with the case of the autonomous movement by Polish-Lithuanians, is to analyze the "Matrioshka" structure of ethnic problems, which arose in the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR) in the beginning of 1989. In the "Matrioshka" structure of ethnic problems, Lithuanians (predominant ethnic group) tried to be independent from the USSR, and then non-Lithuanians (less predominant ethnic group) did not want to follow Lithuania's political decision and tried to be independent from the Republic, which was under Lithuanian control. This structure can be also seen in the Pridniester region and Gagauzia region (Moldova), Abkhazia autonomous republic and South Ossetia autonomous province (Georgia). Although each case has different social, political and economic backgrounds, we can find similarity in an initial stage as follows: 1. The decision and proclamation of language law, which defined language of predominant ethnic group as the governmental one, this was the first cause of ethnic conflict among predominant ethnic group and less predominant ethnic group. 2. Less predominant ethnic group formed a scheme to become dominant (autonomous region) which meant less predominant ethnic group could become the "majority" in that area, after being disappointed at political system of the republic, in which predominant ethnic group held an overlydominant position. 3. Less predominant ethnic group organized ethnic dominion to protect their own interests from physical and "mental" destruction by predominant ethnic group, which had established more superiority over less predominant ethnic group in the "center" of the republic. However, in the next process, each case reached a different result. Most of the cases (Pridniester, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia) expanded into armed conflict. It is essential to research the reason why the Polish Lithuanian case did not develop into armed conflict. One of the aims of my research is to analyze the differences among the Polish Lithuanian case and other cases which faced armed conflict. We can find many research papers about the "Matrioshka" structure of ethnic problems, assuming 3 levels of the "Matrioshka" : relationships among the Soviet government (1st level), government of the republic (predominant ethnic group in the republic, 2nd level) and regional government (less predominant ethnic group in the republic or regional "majority," 3rd level). I can mainly classify this research into two styles: one is researched using the viewpoint from the 2nd level to the 1st level (conflict over sovereignty and independence of the republic), the other is from the 2nd level to the 3rd level (ethnic "minority" problem in the inner security field). However we can seldom find materials that are based on the viewpoint from the 3rd level (viewpoint of less dominant ethnic group) except in the scientific field of linguistics, cultural study, sociology and so on. The problem of researching from the 2nd level viewpoint is that it regards the movement of self-determination of less predominant ethnic group as a negative factor, which is harmful to national security. This research has an inclination to make results "biased" towards the movement by less predominant ethnic group. Therefore it is necessary to check the autonomous problem from both sides, especially from the 3rd level viewpoint. Based on the 3rd level viewpoint in this paper, I would like to develop further than the 3rd level's Matrioshka and analyze whether a 4th level could exist within the Matrioshka structure in Lithuania, taking note of the activity by the regional "minority" (4th level). I would like to prove that the conflict among 3rd and 4th level actors and the cooperation between 2nd and 4th level actors restricted the movement of the 3rd level. In this paper I used materials from the New Governmental Archives of the Republic of Lithuania (LVNA, Lietuvos Valstybės Naujasis archyvas) which I discovered during the field research in Vilnius in 2006.

紀要論文

Version of Record

0562-6579

AN0012574X