Evropeiskii potop: The discourse of apocalypse and silence in Russian press coverage on the issue of refugees

Abstract

This article studies Russia’s news discourse on the refugee crisis of 2015–2016. Employing critical discourse analysis and the concept of news as discourse, the study explores representations of the refugee issue in four Russian newspapers. A predominant feature in the discourse is the use of apocalyptic rhetoric. Elaborating on the concept of post-Soviet aphasia (Oushakine 2000), however, the study also finds that the foremost characteristic of Russian public conversation on refugees is, perhaps, the lack thereof. The apparent discursive “black hole” concerning Russia’s role in the refugee situation is a central finding in the study.