Evolution of Russia’s ‘Others’ in Presidential Discourse in 2000–2020

Abstract

In this chapter, the Others of Russia, reoccurring in the presidential discourse in 2000–2020, will be analysed. The key speeches reveal three distinctive ‘Others’ of the Russian state and nation, evolving in space and time: first, an ineffective politician in the 1990s, and, later, a corrupt bureaucrat, is framed as historical and internal Other, whose figure legitimizes the current power. Second, the metaphor of constant competition in the international relations describes the Other as economically stronger developed Western country, against which Russia’s ‘backwardness’ is mirrored, especially in the early 2000s. As the economic competition becomes harder to win and the quest for national unity intensifies, the emphasis turns to the third Other, the one holding fundamentally different values than the Self. Thus, it is argued that the metaphor of competition/conflict between Russia and its Others has undergone a qualitative transformation in the presidential rhetoric, reflecting change in Russia’s relative strength: instead of the previously admired economic performance, the times of conflict show that Russia’s true strength vis-à-vis its Others resides in the conservative, moral values and military might.