The New Third Rome : Readings of a Russian Nationalist Myth

Drawing on theories of political myth and concepts of nationalism, Jardar ØstbØ analyzes the content and ideological function of the myth of Russia as a Third Rome. Through case studies of four prominent nationalist intellectuals, ØstbØ shows how this messianic myth was used to reinvent Russia and its allegedly rightful place in the world after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Though it exists in many radically different versions, the Third Rome myth in general embodies particularism and rabid anti-Westernism. At best, it portrays Russia as an essentially isolationist country. At worst, it casts the country as superior to all other nations, divinely elected to rule the world. Acknowledgments On Transliteration, Translations, References and Sources Author’s Preface Foreword (Pål Kolstø) 1. INTRODUCTION Research Aims Myths and the Invention of Nations Research on the Third Rome Theorizing the Modern Uses of a Medieval Idea Case Studies: Selection, Sources and Method Structure of the Book 2. RUSSIAN NATIONALISM Russian National Identity – Crisis and Reinvention Defining ‘Nation’ Defining ‘Nationalism’ Clarifying ‘Invention’ Russia – Different Nation, Different Nationalism Imperialism versus Nationalism? Statist versus Culturalist Nationalism? (Political) Orthodoxy and Russian Nationalism A Tentative Typology of Russian Nationalism 3. MYTHS OF A MYTH? What is Political Myth? Definitions Political Myth as Carrier of Ideology Political Myth as a Story about a Political Society The Enlightenment Ideal: Political Myth as Regress Political Myth as Incitement to Action Functionalism: Political Myth in the Construction of Societies Bottici: Political Myth as Process The Narrative of the Third Rome as Political Myth Scholarship versus Myth-­‐Making Mythopoeic or ‘Demythologizing’: Generalist Scholarship Vladimir Solov’ev – Reconciling East and West Fedorov and Russia’s Universal Mission Émigrés Pro&Contra Florovskii: from Apocalyptic Minor to Chiliastic Major Berdiaev’s Game of Words Toynbee and his Critics Ul’ianov: Religion, not Imperialism; Nation, not Empire Pipes and Narochnitskaia Back to the Sources? Epistle to Misiur’-­‐Munekhin Epistle to Grand Prince of Muscovy Vasilii Ivanovich On the Church’s Calamities ‘Purism’ – a Solution? Escaping the ‘Purist’ Paradigm 4. VADIM TSYMBURSKII - ISLAND THIRD ROME 5. ALEKSANDR DUGIN - TO KILL FOR THE THIRD ROME 6. NATALIIA NAROCHNITSKAIA - INVERTING THE MYTH 7. EGOR KHOLMOGOROV - BRIDGEHEAD IN HEAVEN 8. CONCLUSIONS The Uses of the Political Myth of the Third Rome Defining who is Russian Defining the Boundaries of the Russian State as They ‘Should’ Be Foundation Myth Continuity: Past – Present – Future – End of Time Moral Prerogative The Importance of Orthodoxy Russian ‘Uniqueness’ A ‘Military Mission’? The Status of the Political Myth of the Third Rome EPILOGUE: ENTERING THE MAINSTREAM Views on the Ukrainian Crisis The Myth of the Third Rome and the Ukrainian Crisis Conclusions Bibliography This in-depth analysis discloses the sources, contents, and implications of post-Soviet Russian messianism. Since its rediscovery 150 years ago, writers ranging from Western critics of Moscow's foreign policy to ardent Russian imperialists have used the concept of Moscow as the Third Rome as 'evidence' of Russia's particularism and expansionism. But for the original author of the formula of the Third Rome, the Orthodox monk Filofei of Pskov, it was a religious concept he referred to when criticizing what he saw as the apostasy of his time. This book is the first to look beyond this dichotomy. Drawing on theories of political myth and concepts of nationalism, Ostbo develops a novel analytical perspective. Rather than dismissing political uses of the religious, medieval idea as 'wrong', the author analyzes the modern content and ideological function of the myth of the Third Rome. Through case studies of four prominent nationalist intellectuals, Vadim Tsymburskii, Aleksandr Dugin, Nataliia Narochnitskaia and Egor Kholmogorov, the author shows how this messianic myth is used to 'reinvent' Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. These writers use their own constructed image of the Russian nation to demonstrate what Russia 'should be' and its allegedly rightful place in the world. Existing in radically diverging versions, the myth of the Third Rome routinely conveys rabid anti-Westernism. At 'best', it is employed to forge a self-image of the Russians as an essentially isolationist civilization. At worst, it is used to 'explain' how the Russians are divinely elected to be the rulers of a world empire.