Reimagining Soviet Georgia  cover image

Reimagining Soviet Georgia

Episode 2: Soviet Georgian Migrants, Memory and Rivers with Jeff Sahadeo

May 7, 2021
Author Jeff Sahadeo explores the experiences and memories of Soviet Georgian migrants, discussing their lives, the Soviet experience, and nostalgia for the stable and decent days. He also delves into the racialization of nationality, the rise of xenophobia after the collapse of the USSR, and human relations between Georgians and Russians. Additionally, Sahadeo touches on his new research project about rivers in Soviet and post-Soviet Georgia and the challenges faced in the country today.
01:15:42

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The concept of Soviet identity was based on shared experiences and a sense of belonging, rather than communist ideology.
  • Multiculturalism in the Soviet Union was viewed as artificial, with personal connections and understanding seen as more effective in fostering harmonious relations.

Deep dives

Understanding Multi-Ethnic Life in Soviet Cities

The podcast episode discusses the research of Jeff Sajadeo, a professor of history at Carleton University, who explores the multicultural and multi-ethnic nature of cities like Leningrad and Moscow during the Soviet period. By conducting oral history interviews, Sajadeo delves into the personal experiences of individuals living in these cities and their interactions with people from different regions and ethnic backgrounds. The interviews reveal a commonality between Soviet identities, where individuals felt a sense of belonging and were able to navigate relationships with various ethnic groups. However, the formal aspect of multiculturalism imposed by the state was seen as artificial by many interviewees, who believed that personal connections and understanding were more effective in fostering harmonious relations.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode