Decolonial visual strategies in Russia. An intersectional approach

The military invasion of Ukraine, started by the Russian government in February 2022, has led to the surge of discussions around “colonialism” and “imperialism” in the history of the Russian Federation (inherited from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union periods) and today’s necessity of decolonization processes. The surge of anti-war protests in Russia is followed by movements for justice for ethnic groups that live on the territory of the Russian Federation. While the Russian government is trying to produce a homogeneous “pro-government” space of the “united Russian nation”, nevertheless, interconnected and mutually reinforcing resistance movements have grown and have become even more visible through visual practices. This study aims to explore a possible role of visual strategies in decolonization processes in Russia that create a space for discussion and for acts of creative resistance that emerge in opposition to hegemonic colonial framework.