Eurasia 2.0: Russian Geopolitics in the Age of New Media (Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European Politics)

This book discusses the return of geopolitical ideas and doctrines to the post-Soviet space with special focus on the new phenomenon of digital geopolitics, which is an overarching term for different political practices including dissemination of geopolitical ideas online, using the internet by political figures and diplomats for legitimation and outreach activity, and viral spread of geopolitical memes. Different chapters explore the new possibilities and threats associated with this digitalization of geopolitical knowledge and practice. Our authors consider new spatial sensibilities and new identities of global as well as local Selves, the emergence of which is facilitated by the internet. They explore recent reconfigurations of the traditional imperial conundrum of center versus periphery. Developing Manuel Castells’ argument that social activism in the digital era is organized around cultural values, the essays discuss new geopolitical ideologies which aim to reinforce Russia’s spiritual sovereignty as a unique civilization, while at the same time seeking to rebrand Russia as a greater soft power by utilizing the Russian-speaking diaspora or employing traditionalist rhetoric. Great Power imagery, enemy-making, and visual mappings of Russia’s future territorial expansion are traditional means for the manipulation of imperial pleasures and geopolitical fears. In the age of new media, however, this is being done with greater subtlety by mobilizing the grassroots, contracting private information channels, and de-politicizing geopolitics. Given the political events of recent years, it is logical that the Ukrainian crisis should provide the thematic backdrop for most of the authors. Chapter 1. Saara Ratilainen, Russian Digital Lifestyle Media and the Construction of Global Selves Chapter 2. Brigit Beumers, Crossing Borders/Road Movies in Russia: The Road to Nowhere? Destinations in Recent Russian Cinema Chapter 3. Galina Zvereva, Digital Storytelling on YouTube: The Geo-Political Factor in Russian Vernacular Regional Identities Chapter 4. Andrei Tsygankov, Uses of Eurasia: the Kremlin, the Eurasian Union, and the Izborsky Club Chapter 5. Marlène Laruelle, Digital Geopolitics Encapsulated. Geidar Dzhemal between Islamism, Occult Fascism and Eurasianism Chapter 6. Sirke Mäkinen, Russia as an alternative model: Geopolitical Representations and Russia’s Public Diplomacy—the Case of Rossotrudnichestvo Chapter 7. Hanna Smith, Putin’s Third Term and Russia as a Great Power Chapter 8. Fabian Linde, Future Empire: State-Sponsored Eurasian Identity Promotion Among Russian Youth Chapter 9. Per-Arne Bodin, Russian Geopolitical Discourse: On Pseudomorphosis, Phantom Pains and Simulacra Chapter 10. Vlad Strukov, Digital Conservatism: Framing Patriotism in the Era of Global Journalism Chapter 11. Ryhor Nizhnikau, Invisible Battlefield in Belarusian Media Space: Fighting “Russkiimir” from within? Chapter 12. Alla Marchenko and Sergiy Kurbatov, Constructing the Enemy-Other in Social Media: Facebook as a Particular “Battlefield” During the Ukrainian Crisis Chapter 13. Dirk Uffelmann, The Imagined Geolinguistics of Ukraine Chapter 14. Greg Simons, Digital Eurasia: Post-Soviet Geopolitics in the Age of the New Media: Euromaidan and the Geopolitical Struggle for Influence on Ukraine via New Media Chapter 15. Mikhail Suslov, The Russian World Concept in Online Debate during the Ukrainian Crisis Russian digital lifestyle media and the construction of global selves / Saara Ratilainen Crossing borders/road movies in Russia : the road to nowhere? : destinations in recent Russian cinema / Brigit Beumers Digital storytelling on youtube : the geo-political factor in Russian vernacular regional identities / Galina Zvereva Uses of Eurasia : the Kremlin, the Eurasian Union, and the Izborsky Club / Andrei Tsygankov Digital geopolitics encapsulated : Geidar Dzhemal between Islamism, occult fascism and Eurasianism / Marlène Laruelle Russia as an alternative model : geopolitical representations and Russia's public diplomacy : the case of Rossotrudnichestvo / Sirke Mäkinen Putin's third term and Russia as a great power / Hanna Smith Future empire : state-sponsored Eurasian identity promotion among Russian youth / Fabian Linde Russian geopolitical discourse : on pseudomorphosis, phantom pains and simulacra / Per-Arne Bodin Digital conservatism : framing patriotism in the era of global journalism / Vlad Strukov Invisible battlefield in Belarusian media space fighting "Rsskiimir" from within? / Ryhor Nizhnikau Constructing the enemy-other in social media : Facebook as a particular "battlefield" during the Ukrainian crisis / Alla Marchenko and Sergiy Kurbatov The imagined geolinguistics of Ukraine / Dirk Uffelmann Digital Eurasia : post-Soviet geopolitics in the age of the new media : Euromaidan and the geopolitical struggle for influence on Ukraine via new media / Greg Simons The Russian world concept in online debate during the Ukrainian crisis / Mikhail Suslov. La 4e de couv. indique : "This book discusses the return of geopolitical ideas and doctrines to the post-Soviet space with a special focus on the new phenomenon of digital geopolitics, an overarching term for different political practices including dissemination of geopolitical ideas online, use of the Internet by political figures and diplomats for legitimation and outreach activity, and viral spread of geopolitical memes. Different chapters explore and consider the new possibilities and threats associated with this digitalization of geopolitical knowledge and practice, new spatial sensibilities, and identities of global as well as local selves. Developing Manuel Castells's argument that social activism in the digital era is organized around cultural values, these chapters discuss new geopolitical ideologies which aim to reinforce Russia's spiritual sovereignty as a unique civilization, while at the same time seeking to rebrand Russia as a greater soft power by utilizing the Russian-speaking diaspora or employing traditionalist rhetoric. Given the political events of recent years, it is logical that the Ukrainian crisis should provide the thematic backdrop for most of the authors." Contents 7 Editorial Foreword 8 Foreword 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction 12 Part I: Geopolitical Sensibilities: Perceptions of Power and Space 24 Chapter 1: Russian Digital Lifestyle Media and the Construction of Global Selves 25 Chapter 2: Crossing Borders/RoadMovies in Russia 43 Chapter 3: Digital Storytelling on YouTube 56 Part II: Geopolitical Ideologies 70 Chapter 4: Uses of Eurasia 71 Chapter 5: Digital Geopolitics Encapsulated 84 Chapter 6: Russia as an Alternative Model 99 Part III: Visions of Russia as a Great Power 116 Chapter 7: Putin’s Third Term andRussia as a Great Power 117 Chapter 8: Future Empire 135 Chapter 9: Russian Geopolitical Discourse 148 Part IV: Post-Soviet Geopolitics and the Media 160 Chapter 10: Digital Conservatism 161 Chapter 11: The Invisible Battlefieldin the Belarusian Media Space 179 Chapter 12: Constructing the Enemy-Otherin Social Media 192 Part V: Popular Geopolitics 208 Chapter 13: The ImaginedGeolinguistics of Ukraine 209 Chapter 14: Euromaidan and the Geopolitical Struggle for Influence on Ukraine via New Media 232 Chapter 15: The “Russian World”Concept in Online Debateduring the Ukrainian Crisis 248 About the Contributors 269 This book focuses on the new phenomenon of digital geopolitics in the former Soviet Union. It considers how media serve as platforms for the contestation of geopolitical ideas and the articulation of new political identities. It explores new possibilities and threats associated with the digitalization of geopolitical knowledge and practice.