CURRENTS OF DISSONANCE: ASYNCHRONOUS BELONGING AND CONTESTED PASTS ON THE AMUR FRONTIER
Keywords:
Amur River, historical imagination, asynchronous belonging, borderlandsAbstract
This article explores how historical imagination shapes asynchronous belonging along the Amur River, a significant borderland between Russia and China. We analyze the interplay between official state narratives—emphasizing heroic conquest, strategic importance, and industrial development—and resilient localized memories that often recount hardship, diverse experiences, and unofficial histories. Through a comprehensive textual and discourse analysis of historical documents, literary works, media reports, and public debates, informed by foundational theories of imagined communities, invented traditions, and the politics of memory, we demonstrate that a sense of belonging in this dynamic region is perpetually negotiated. Individuals and communities navigate multiple temporalities simultaneously, leading to a fragmented yet deeply personal and resilient identity that reflects both deeply ingrained historical ties and the fluid nature of contemporary life in a post-socialist context. The Amur frontier thus serves as a powerful case study for understanding how contested pasts influence present-day identities, often leading to radical polarization, in strategically vital borderland zones.
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