“From Russian to Trans-Ukrainian: How Guilt and Shame Are Driving Some Russians to Change Their National Identity”

Since the war began on February 24 last year, many Russians have felt guilt and shame as a result of Russia’s warfare in Ukraine.

This leads to many Russians trying to change their national identity in social contexts. When they meet new people, they no longer call themselves “Russians”. Instead, they pretend to be “Ukrainians”.

That’s what Vasilisa Murasheva says.

She is a psychologist and fled Russia nine months ago. Now she lives with her family in Montenegro, by the Adriatic Sea.

– On social media, several people have changed their national identity from Russian to Ukrainian because of the war. I call them “trans-Ukrainians”, says Murasheva to TV 2, adding:

– Since this is something new, there is no research on this term. Theoretically, it is more accurate to call them “new Ukrainians”.

What are the “new” Ukrainians doing?

– They indicate Ukrainian cities as their place of birth, rewrite profiles on social media, switch to Ukrainian language and even deny the fact that they lived in Russia.

Guilt and shame

According to Murasheva, there are many people in Montenegro who do this. One of them is a Russian woman who came to the country without a return ticket.

Murasheva has known her since childhood.

– After she came here, she rewrote her story on social media. She has changed her place of birth. She pretends to be Ukrainian even though she has no official connection with Ukraine, says Murasheva.

She explains the phenomenon that many Russians want to get rid of the guilt and shame associated with the war.

Experiment

Murasheva goes on to say that she herself did an experiment. She went to a cafe and started chatting with people.

As a Russian, she pretended to be “Ukrainian”.

– Afterwards, I was surprised that a feeling of revulsion that has not left me since February 24, subsided significantly. After ten minutes, the relief was even greater, she says and continues:

– Suddenly you become the person everyone meets with open arms and wants to help. There and then I felt much prouder than by being Russian.

At the same time, Murasheva warns that changing the nationality in this way can be harmful to the psyche.

– Self-harm

She describes it as cutting a leg on a chair to sit on.

– If you do this to get rid of a feeling, you also throw away the memories linked to this feeling. It’s like throwing away a part of you, she says and adds:

– As a psychologist, I am interested in the mental outcome of this trend. To me, this seems like self-harm. Mentally, it can be very damaging for Russians.

Murasheva has Russian patients who have fled their homeland after the war started. She talks to colleagues in other countries to exchange information and knowledge.

– They say that they see the same trend, and that hundreds of people are doing the same. I myself have relatives in Israel who have escaped from Russia, and I know that some of them do.

– Embarrassed

After the war in Ukraine, many Russians have expressed that they feel shame as a result of Putin’s warfare in Ukraine.

Some of them live in Norway. Russian Evgeny Goman, whom TV 2 has spoken to previously, says the same. According to him, it has become more difficult to be Russian.

– It didn’t feel good when the war started. I was embarrassed, and felt shame and guilt.

– It was worse in the first months. Then I tried to hide that I am Russian, Goman told TV 2 at the time.

The other Russian is Sergej Tchirkov (41) who lives in Bergen.

– I have never supported Putin, and never voted for him. Nevertheless, I feel a great shame, Tchirkov told TV 2 at the time.