Russia’s borders with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on four scales: Analysis of the political discourse

This paper explores the public perceptions about border segments of Russia with Abkhazia and South Ossetia based on an analysis of the related discourse generated by Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The study is based on a set of publications collected as part of continuous analysis of the newspaper’s content within three periods: 1994–1995, 2000–2003, and 2008–2012. The unclear legal status of the disputed border segments underpins the multitude of approaches to how the borders are perceived. Four basic images of the borders are identified, corresponding to the four scale levels of discourse: the border of Russia and Abkhazia/South Ossetia, the border of Russia and Georgia, the border of Russia and the West, and the border between the North and South Caucasus. Different levels of discourse can reflect different opinions about the conflict (Russian, Georgian, and Abkhazian/South Ossetian viewpoints). These levels also differ in terms of the spatial perception of the border (line or zone), etc. Each segment of the discourse is dominated by a set of key motifs. Some motifs have a “vertical” (cross-cutting) nature: in modified form, these motifs shape the discourse at each level (integration of Russia and South Ossetia; Russia’s annexation of South Ossetia; Russia’s rivalry with the West over influence in the South Caucasus; providing the unity of the Caucasus region). This ensures the interrelation of images, as well as the unity and structuredness of the analyzed discourse.