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Identity Politics in Russia: Construction and Deconstruction (Experts’ Opinion)
The paper is based on the results of a conducted in 2016 expert survey, devoted to the problems of identity politics in Russia. Experts’ opinions are united into four groups: first, experts claiming that identity politics has a distinct and constructive content; second, experts acknowledging the existence of identity politics, but considering it as indistinct; third, experts asserting that identity politics as a branch of state politics is non-existent in modern Russia; fourth, experts, considering that there is no need for such a branch of politics. The opinions of experts, who at least to some extent recognize the existence of an identity politics in Russia, and those denying its existence, divided almost equally.
It is concluded that the identity politics should include not only measures aimed at stimulation of certain actions that create positive associative connections between citizens and identity symbols but also technologies aimed at counteracting
the practices of manipulating the public consciousness of Russians and deconstructing the already achieved unity of the society. It is shown that this component of the still emerging identity politics in Russia is much weaker. Experts
are unanimous that Russia is not yet ready to effectively counteract the processes that threaten Russian identity, and this assessment does not depend on where a particular expert sees the source of these processes, or whether experts
believe that such processes are initiated artificially and / or from the outside, or whether they are a refl ection of internal contradictions. A broader use of the concept of "identity politics" that has become fi rmly entrenched in sociopolitical
and scholarly discourse in many countries could facilitate a more distinct conceptual grounding for this activity. On the background of real success in the formation of the Russian identity, it is necessary to focus on counteracting destructive practices aimed at desacralization of integrating images and deconstruction of collective representations.
It is concluded that the identity politics should include not only measures aimed at stimulation of certain actions that create positive associative connections between citizens and identity symbols but also technologies aimed at counteracting
the practices of manipulating the public consciousness of Russians and deconstructing the already achieved unity of the society. It is shown that this component of the still emerging identity politics in Russia is much weaker. Experts
are unanimous that Russia is not yet ready to effectively counteract the processes that threaten Russian identity, and this assessment does not depend on where a particular expert sees the source of these processes, or whether experts
believe that such processes are initiated artificially and / or from the outside, or whether they are a refl ection of internal contradictions. A broader use of the concept of "identity politics" that has become fi rmly entrenched in sociopolitical
and scholarly discourse in many countries could facilitate a more distinct conceptual grounding for this activity. On the background of real success in the formation of the Russian identity, it is necessary to focus on counteracting destructive practices aimed at desacralization of integrating images and deconstruction of collective representations.
identity politics, Russian identity, national unity, information warfare, «soft power» The paper is based on the results of a conducted in 2016 expert survey, devoted to the problems of