Factors affecting activities to prevent and suppress ethnic conflicts in the Russian Federation

Abstract

The article analyses the activities to prevent and suppress ethnic conflicts, activities that form a major component of the national security system of the Russian Federation against extremist, including terrorist, threats. The article examines the features and the degree of influence of the main factors on the activities of state structures, religious organisations, public associations for the prevention and suppression of interethnic conflicts. The survey of twenty experts who are highly qualified specialists in the field of countering ethno-extremism conducted by the author using the methods of questionnaires and in-depth interviews, as well as the results of mass sociological studies and analysis of scientific works and media publications on the topic of the research allowed to determine the degree of influence of the main factors on the ethno-conflict sphere. It was revealed as a result of the research, that the Russian Orthodox Church, traditional Muslim organisations and public law enforcement organisations, primarily Cossack organisations and voluntary people's guards, have the most positive influence on activities to prevent and suppress ethnic conflicts. The factor of "spreading the ideology of the" Russian world "" in the context of aggravated relations with Western countries has practically no effect on anti-conflict activities in the ethno-national sphere. Attempts to support foreign followers of the Russian patriotic project evoke nothing more but Russophobic reaction from the political elites in a number of foreign states. Such factors as “deficiencies in educational and upbringing activities”, as well as “pandemic”, have a negative impact on the activities aimed at preventing and suppressing ethnic conflicts in Russia. The worst influence on the prevention and suppression of ethnic conflicts, according to the experts interviewed, have “activities of elites in national formations”, “migration policy”, as well as “development of Internet communications and social networks”. The author proves that taking into account the peculiarities and degree of influence of the main factors on activities to prevent and suppress ethnic conflicts will not only allow the authorities to ensure the protection of the Russian society from ethno-national threats but also to more effectively solve important tasks of strengthening the all-Russian self-awareness and spiritual community of the Russian nation, harmonising ethno-national relations and state-civil consolidation in the Russian Federation.