Imagined 'natsionalnosti': The constructed nature of nationalism in the early Soviet Union

Benedict Anderson's influential work on nationalism and nation-building, Imagined Communities, describes the colonial policies of European powers in Southeast Asia, and their legacy in the creation and consolidation of national boundaries and identities which had not existed prior to European rule. More importantly than the specific case of Southeast Asia, Anderson adds to the body of knowledge on nationalism, making a strong case for the constructedness of nations.; About a century later, following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Bolshevik regime led by Lenin undertook a series of nationalities policies meant to diffuse the potential for nationalist separatism or other ethno-national conflict. Despite their ostensible loyalty to Marxist ideals, the resulting policies were not unlike those described by Anderson. Ultimately, the legacy of early Soviet policies would also be the creation and consolidation of nations, boundaries of identity and territory along whose lines the Soviet Union would come unbound.