Constructing Citizenship in Post-Soviet Contested States
Evidence from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria
Ramesh Ganohariti(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 18. September 2026
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-1-041-26034-9 (ISBN)
Description
This book explains how the phenomenon of citizenship has been constructed in three contested states in the former Soviet space.
Citizenship is a source of (legal) identity that provides access to resources, rights, and recognition. However, the disputed nature of contested states leads to their citizens being subject to multiple (conflicting) citizenship regimes. Drawing on legal analysis, interviews, and survey data, this book sheds light on the complex relationship between contested statehood, sovereignty, state recognition, citizenship regimes, and the politics of belonging. Using the lenses of multiplicity and human/state security, the book explores and explains how the phenomenon of citizenship has been constructed in three post-Soviet contested states: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. The book finds that the contested nature of these states require their citizens to navigate between the citizenship regimes of the contested, claimant, patron, and third states. Experiences of citizenship change depending on physical location, determinations by different states as to what legal status(es) an individual holds, and legislative and political changes. Meanwhile, at the state level, citizenship is used as a state- and nation-building tool to enhance ethnodemographic security by excluding undesired groups and including desired ones. Lastly, the book emphasises the normalisation discourse among (citizens of) contested states regarding their citizenship and security. This discourse evidences a broader pattern among contested states, highlighting that their state- and nation-building projects are not markedly different from those of recognised states.
This book will be of much interest to students of statehood, de facto states, citizenship, Eastern European politics and International Relations.
Citizenship is a source of (legal) identity that provides access to resources, rights, and recognition. However, the disputed nature of contested states leads to their citizens being subject to multiple (conflicting) citizenship regimes. Drawing on legal analysis, interviews, and survey data, this book sheds light on the complex relationship between contested statehood, sovereignty, state recognition, citizenship regimes, and the politics of belonging. Using the lenses of multiplicity and human/state security, the book explores and explains how the phenomenon of citizenship has been constructed in three post-Soviet contested states: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. The book finds that the contested nature of these states require their citizens to navigate between the citizenship regimes of the contested, claimant, patron, and third states. Experiences of citizenship change depending on physical location, determinations by different states as to what legal status(es) an individual holds, and legislative and political changes. Meanwhile, at the state level, citizenship is used as a state- and nation-building tool to enhance ethnodemographic security by excluding undesired groups and including desired ones. Lastly, the book emphasises the normalisation discourse among (citizens of) contested states regarding their citizenship and security. This discourse evidences a broader pattern among contested states, highlighting that their state- and nation-building projects are not markedly different from those of recognised states.
This book will be of much interest to students of statehood, de facto states, citizenship, Eastern European politics and International Relations.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
23 s/w Tabellen
23 Tables, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-26034-9 (9781041260349)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Ramesh Ganohariti
Constructing Citizenship in Post-Soviet Contested States
Evidence from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria
E-Book
approx. 09/2026
Routledge
€60.99
Not yet available

Ramesh Ganohariti
Constructing Citizenship in Post-Soviet Contested States
Evidence from Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria
E-Book
approx. 09/2026
Routledge
€60.99
Not yet available
Person
Ramesh Ganohariti is a lecturer at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University, The Netherlands, and has a PhD in Politics and International Relations from Dublin City University, Ireland. He is co-author of Sub-State Recognition: The Politics of Recognition from Below (2025).
Content
Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Defining Citizenship and Statehood Chapter 3: Conceptualising Citizenship in Contested States Chapter 4: Multiplicity of Legal Statuses in Contested States Chapter 5: Multiplicity of Rights, Obligations, and Identities in Contested States Chapter 6: The Politics of Belonging in Contested States Chapter 7: Conclusions and Implications Appendix