Geographic Patterns of Desovietization of Toponymy in Russian Cities
In: Regional Research of Russia
Desovietization of urban toponymy is understood in the paper as a process of abandoning the unified "matrix of urbanonyms" that formed a common Soviet identity, and as an indicator of the transition of Russian society from unification of identity to its diversity. The paper proves that the practices of desovietization of the urban toponymy in Russia differ significantly, and such differences are associated with regional combinations of political orientations of the population and political orientations of the ruling elite. Poles of geographical electoral cleavages, types of electoral cultures (according to R.F. Turovsky) describe geographical differences in the processes of desovietization of toponymy. It is shown what influence the organizational and political features of regional and city administrations had on the features and course of desovietization during renaming periods. In addition to the general trend of transition from a single Soviet matrix of urbanonyms to regional diversification of toponymic approaches, there is a tendency toward "deideologization" and "regionalization" of toponymy through the consolidation of regional historical memory; for national republics, minimal deideologization, replaced by decolonization, accompanied by nationalization and the same regionalization of toponymy.