Nationalism for Export? The Domestic and Foreign-Policy Implications of the New ‘Russian Idea’

Assessing Russian Reactions to U.S. and NATO Posture Enhancements

“…88 Laruelle, 2015, pp. 89-90, 95. 89 March, 2012. could seek to exploit any future frustrations with the essentially pragmatic approach of the current regime. Given the nationalists' more expansionist goals and potentially higher acceptance of the risks needed to achieve those goals, future increases in the influence that nationalists have over Russian policy could also lead to increases in the risk of conflict with NATO.…”

Russia's Islam: Discourse on Identity, Politics, and Security

“…As a matter of fact, many studies of Russian nationalism or even patriotism deal almost exclusively with ethnic Russian groups and their conceptualization of the Russian state (March 2012a;Laruelle 2009Laruelle , but not 2008. It is exactly the breadth and vagueness of the religiousfounded, Euro-Asian character of the "Russian idea" as it is conceptualized by Berdyaev that provides an opportunity for Muslims to enter the discourse, sometimes through unexpected gates.…”

“…In his discussion about the new Russian idea and its role in shaping Russia's foreign attitudes through nationalism, Luke March (2012aMarch ( , 2012b identifies three types of nationalism in Russia: official, cultural, and political. In particular, "Russian cultural nationalism is principally the mainstream intellectual and media discourse that employs symbols that aim to reinforce the historical, moral and social aspects of a distinct Russian 'national' way of life" (March 2012 b: 403) For March, the cultural nationalism crafted by the media is of "civilizational" nature (412).…”

“…At a deeper conceptual level, the fundamental question about the nature of Russian identity (European or Asian) has reemerged two decades after the demise of the Soviet Union. In particular, the traditional philosophical discourse on the "Russian idea" (Berdjaev 1947) is being revamped, especially, but not exclusively, among ultra-nationalists and NeoEurasianists (March 2012a;Laruelle 2008;Wiederkehr 2007). …”

“…An adequate understanding of the Russian idea, and of its fundamental role in the elaboration of Russian self-identity throughout history (Strada 1991), is necessary to comprehend the present discourse on Russian civilization, including civilizational nationalism (March 2012a(March , 2012b. Several contemporary reelaborations of the Russian idea also envision a role for Islam within a broader Russian civilization.…”