Russian Nationalism, Foreign Policy and Identity Debates in Putin's Russia: New Ideological Patterns after the Orange Revolution (Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society)

The contributors to this book discuss the new conjunctions that have emerged between foreign policy events and politicized expressions of Russian nationalism since 2005. The 2008 war with Georgia, as well as conflicts with Ukraine and other East European countries over the memory of the Soviet Union, and the Russian interpretation of the 2005 French riots have all contributed to reinforcing narratives of Russia as a fortress surrounded by aggressive forces, in the West and CIS. This narrative has found support not only in state structures, but also within the larger public. It has been especially salient for some nationalist youth movements, including both pro-Kremlin organizations, such as -Nashi, - and extra-systemic groups, such as those of the skinheads. These various actors each have their own specific agendas; they employ different modes of public action, and receive unequal recognition from other segments of society. Yet many of them expose a reading of certain foreign policy events which is roughly similar to that of various state structures. These and related phenomena are analyzed, interpreted and contextualized in papers by Luke March, Igor Torbakov, Jussi Lassila, Marlene Laruelle, and Lukasz Jurczyszyn. The contributors to this book discuss the new conjunctions that have emerged between foreign policy events and politicized expressions of Russian nationalism since 2005. The 2008 war with Georgia, as well as conflicts with Ukraine and other East European countries over the memory of the Soviet Union, and the Russian interpretation of the 2005 French riots have all contributed to reinforcing narratives of Russia as a fortress surrounded by aggressive forces, in the West and CIS. This narrative has found support not only in state structures, but also within the larger public. It has been especially salient for some nationalist youth movements, including both pro-Kremlin organizations, such as'Nashi,'and extra-systemic groups, such as those of the skinheads. These various actors each have their own specific agendas; they employ different modes of public action, and receive unequal recognition from other segments of society. Yet many of them expose a reading of certain foreign policy events which is roughly similar to that of various state structures. These and related phenomena are analyzed, interpreted and contextualized in papers by Luke March, Igor Torbakov, Jussi Lassila, Marlène Laruelle, and Lukasz Jurczyszyn. Is nationalism rising in Russian foreign policy? The case of Georgia / Luke March History, memory and national identity: understanding the politics of history and memory wars in post-Soviet lands / Igor Torbakov Negotiating history: memory wars in the near abroad and the pro-Kremlin youth movements / Marlène Laruelle Making sense of Nashi's political style: the bronze soldier and the counter-Orange community / Jussi Lassila Russian radical nationalist interpretation of the French riots of November 2005 / Lukasz Jurczyszyn. Contents Introduction 1 Is Nationalism Rising in Russian Foreign Policy?The Case of Georgia 2 History, Memory and National Identity 3 Negotiating History 4 Making Sense of Nashi’s Political Style The Bronze Soldier and the Counter-Orange Community 5 Russian Radical Nationalist Interpretation of the French Riots of November 2005 This text considers a wide range of aspects of Russian nationalism, focusing on the Putin period. It discusses the development of Russian nationalism, examining how it relates to ideology, culture, racism, religion and intellectual thinking, and its affects on Russian society, politics and foreign policy