The identities of Germans in the post-Soviet territory represent a multifaceted
and fluid phenomenon. On the basis of field research, ethno-sociological survey, and Internet
sources, the article examines the mechanism of constructing the German ethnic identity in the
context of the emergence of new political realities associated with the collapse of the USSR and
the Germans’ residence in different states. This process has led to the fact that the “ethnic Germans
of Kazakhstan”, or “Kazakh Germans”, and the “Germans of Ukraine” came to replace the

“Soviet” and “Russian” Germans in the former Soviet republics. Today, the main factors affecting
the identities of Germans in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine include the national policy of the
state of residence, the policy of support and assistance pursued by the German government, the
historical memory of the tragic events of the Soviet period (experienced in different ways in the
three countries), the state of ethnic culture and language, and the activities of public organizations.
The article pays special attention to the dynamics of linguistic processes in the post-Soviet territory,
the authors pointing out the diminishing role of language as the main ethnomarking attribute. At
the same time, the importance of the other components of ethnic identity increases, first of all,
that of the shared historical past and culture. The key moments in history for the Germans are
deportation, mobilization into the labor army, and the special settlement regime. The authors
of the article analyze the forms of presentation and maintenance of the memory of these events.
Ethnic culture is still the most important resource for the construction of identity. The most stable
ethnic markers include elements of national cuisine, as well as wedding and calendar rituals.