Summary information
Study title
Public Memory of the Sochi 2014 and Russia 2018 Tournaments and Their Mediation, 2022
Creator
Kazakov, V, The University of Manchester
Study number / PID
856375 (UKDA)
10.5255/UKDA-SN-856375 (DOI)
Data access
Restricted
Series
Not available
Abstract
The goal of this data collection is to help assess how the Russian sport mega-events of the 2010s, the Sochi Olympics and the 2018 World Cup, are publicly remembered and what does this suggest about the outcomes of Russia's efforts to influence domestic and international audiences through such projects several years after their conclusion.
The collection is comprised of three sets of research:(i) follow-up Interviews with Russian fans and media specialists; (ii) Twitter data related to memory of Sochi 2014 following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukraine war; and (iii) Twitter data related to memory of Sochi 2014 and Russia 2018 Football World Cup.My research investigates the nation projection activities of neo-authoritarian states, with a focus on contemporary Russia. The concept of 'nation projection' subsumes classic cultural diplomacy efforts and soft power activities such as the hosting of sport and entertainment events, including the Olympic Games. The term also refers to state-sponsored campaigns of external influence such as Russia's alleged media-driven meddling in the affairs of foreign states. As such, the nation projection activities of neo-authoritarian states are often depicted as 'propaganda' designed to conceal domestic political and economic problems on the one hand and exacerbate social and political tensions in democratic states on the other. The interface between nation projection and high-profile media events is fertile ground for the exploration of how meaning in the contemporary world is co-created by politicians, the media, and the publics. Yet neither the strategies nor the outcomes of the nation projection of illiberal states through media events, from sports tournaments to political campaigns and elections, have been understood adequately. Using contemporary Russia as a case study, my research better informs our understanding of the ways illiberal states communicate with international publics through media events. My work confronts the...
Read moreTopics
Keywords
Methodology
Data collection period
15/06/2018 - 28/01/2022
Country
United Kingdom
Time dimension
Not availableAnalysis unit
Individual
Time unit
Universe
Not availableSampling procedure
Not availableKind of data
Text
Data collection mode
The purpose of this data collection was to conduct follow-up interviews with the research participants I recruited and interviewed in 2018, and to conduct focused new social media research on the public memory of the Sochi 2014 and Russia 2018 several yearsafter the tournaments’ conclusion.1) The follow up interviews were conducted with research participants who have been previously recruited during my fieldwork in 2018 informing my PhD discussion. Four of the original interviewees took part in new interviews, transcription of which is collected here.Interviews were conducted as online audiocalls via encryptedplatforms such as such as Signal and Telegram. Participants were either Russian sports fans, or Russian media professionals (see README for more details). A standard questionnaire was followed to conduct, record and transcribe the interviews.2) Twitter data related to memory of Sochi 2014 following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukraine war: Using Academic Twitter API method, Twitter was search for messages containing the following terms and hashtags: “Sochi2014” “2014 Olympic” “Sochi Olympics” “Олимпиада 2014” “Сочи 2014” “Сочи2014”. The period of collection included February 20, 2022 to June 21, 2022.3) Twitter data related to memory of Sochi 2014 and Russia 2018 Football World Cup. This sample of tweets was generated from a previous collection of Twitter messages related, conducted in 2018. The original collection was conducted by the University of Manchester Research IT team using the Twitter Streaming API method. Between June 15 and August 3, 2018, tweets matching keywords and hashtags below were collected, generating a collection of over 29 million tweets. More information on the original collection and methods can be obtained via UoM ResearchIT GitHub repository https://github.com/UoMResearchIT/twidata-code In 2023, the collection was searched to generate a new sample of messages relating to the public memory of Sochi 2014, and Russia 2018 tournaments. Tweets matching the following keywords in English and Russian were collected: “Memory” “memorable” “unforgettable” “vivid” “unforgettable” “indelible” “momentous” “historic” “immortal” “undying” “everlasting” “eternal” “unfading” “perpetual” “imperishable” “timeless” “remembering” “remember” “forgettable” “Память” “памятн” “незабвенн” “неизгладим” “знаменательн” “историческ” “бессмертн” “неумирающ” “вечн” “неувядаем” “нетленн” “вневременн” “запоминающ” “забываем” “припомин” “фиксиров” “помни”.
Funding information
Grant number
ES/W005565/1
Access
Publisher
UK Data Service
Publication year
2023
Terms of data access
The Data Collection is available for download to users registered with the UK Data Service. All requests are subject to the permission of the data owner or his/her nominee. Please email the contact person for this data collection to request permission to access the data, explaining your reason for wanting access to the data, then contact our Access Helpdesk.
Related publications
Not available