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The collapse of the USSR, the destruction of the common identity of “Soviet people,” and the development of new, inclusive identities stimulated researchers to study changes in social identity in the post-Soviet space. In this chapter, we analyze how the USSR collapse triggered the mechanisms of the formation of new identities and the main trends of identity changes in this context. We provide an overview of studies of different kinds of identities and their impact on attitudes and intercultural relations in post-Soviet countries. We present some recent studies of identity changes in the region and provide possible directions for future research. We conclude that the dramatic sociopolitical changes after the collapse of the USSR have been followed by salient changes in individual and group self-identifications, illustrating the social embeddedness of our selves

Living together in culturally plural societies poses numerous challenges for members of ethnocultural groups and for the larger society. An important goal of these societies is to achieve positive intercultural relations among all their peoples. Successful management of these relations depends on many factors including a research-based understanding of the historical, political, economic, religious and psychological features of the groups that are in contact. The core question is ‘how we shall we all live together?’ In the project reported in this paper (Mutual Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies; MIRIPS), we seek to provide such research by reviewing three core psychological hypotheses of intercultural relations (multiculturalism, contact and integration) in 21 culturally plural societies. The main goal of the project is to evaluate these hypotheses across societies within the MIRIPS project in order to identify if there are some basic psychological principles that underlie intercultural relations panculturally. If there are, the eventual goal is to employ the findings to propose some policies and programmes that may improve the quality of intercultural relationship globally. An internal meta-analysis using the MIRIPS project data showed that the empirical findings from these societies generally support the validity of the three hypotheses. Implications for the development of policies and programmes to enhance the quality of intercultural relations are discussed.

This article examines intercultural relations in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A). The research is based on the theory of acculturation of J. Berry and uses the hypotheses and measures developed in the Mutual Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies project. The RNO-A is the most favorable place for Russians living in the North Caucasus because attitudes toward the Russian minority in the RNO-A are not discriminatory. Our goal was to test three hypotheses in the RNO-A: the multiculturalism hypothesis, the integration hypothesis, and the contact hypothesis. We conducted a sociopsychological survey. The sample included members of the ethnic majority, the Ossetians ( N = 318), and members of the ethnic minority, the Russians ( N = 327). Data processing was carried out using structural equation modeling (SEM) separately for the ethnic minority and for the ethnic majority, and the models were compared with each other. The results show that perceived security among the Russians (the ethnic minority) as well as among the Ossetians (the ethnic majority) promoted support for a multicultural ideology, tolerance, and mutual integration. The number and frequency of friendly intercultural contacts had a positive and significant impact on a preference for integration among both the Ossetians and the Russians. An integration strategy and the expectation of integration promoted life satisfaction in both groups. Because the results of the study confirmed all three hypotheses, we conclude that interethnic relations between the Russians and the Ossetians in the RNO-A are based on the principles of multiculturalism.

This paper examines relationship between social identities and acculturation strategies of Russians (the ethnic minority) and Ossetians (the ethnic majority) in the Republic of North OssetiaAlania (RNO-A). This study reveals the similarities and differences in relationships between social identities and acculturation strategies of integration and assimilation in three generations of Russians and Ossetians, living in RNO-A. The sample included 109 grandparent-parent-adolescent triads from Russian families and 106 triads from Ossetian families (N=645). Acculturation strategies and acculturation expectations were measured with MIRIPS scales, for ethnic, civic, religious, republic, regional identities. Data processing was carried out using structural equation modelling (SEM) separately for the ethnic minority and the ethnic majority. In the Russian sample there is a negative correlation between Russian cultural identity and the preference of assimilation strategy, and a positive correlation between their other (Ossetian) cultural identity and their integration strategy in all three generations. Among Ossetians no clear relationship between their Ossetian cultural identity and acculturation expectations was found in any of the generations. In Ossetian grandparents and adolescents the other (Russian) cultural identity is positively associated with the acculturation expectation multiculturalism. In adolescents (unlike grandparents and parents) this identity also has a positive correlation with the acculturation expectation melting pot. For Ossetian parents and adolescents their own cultural identity is positively associated with the acculturation expectation multiculturalism. For Ossetian parents (unlike for grandparents and adolescents) their own cultural identity negatively correlates with the acculturation expectation melting pot. In both ethnic groups their own cultural identities promote the preservation of their own culture while other cultural identities help them to adapt successfully in a multicultural society.

This paper describes the impact of religious identity and perceived parent-child psychological closeness on their value similarity in different religious contexts (contexts of religious minority and majority). The total sample includes 454 respondents. Parents and adolescent children of 118 Russian Orthodox Christian families from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) (with 72% Muslim population) and 109 Russian Orthodox families from the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (RNO-A) (with 91% Orthodox population) were surveyed using a questionnaire measuring values (PVQ-R of Schwartz), religious identity and scales of perceived parent-child closeness assessed by parents and adolescents developed by the authors. The results of structural equation modelling showed that religious identity of Russian Orthodox adolescents in KBR predicts parent-child value similarity (PCVS), while the perceived psychological closeness of adolescents with their parents negatively related to their value similarity. In RNO-A parental religious identity and psychological closeness assessed by both parents and children predict the PCVS. The discussion of the results is devoted to the role of religious context in the impact of religious identity and perceived psychological closeness on PCVS.