Promouvoir la culture, conforter l'influence : Rossotrudnicestvo et Russkij Mir, instruments du soft power russe à l'ère postsoviétique

Abstract

Promoting Culture , Bolstering Influence : Rossotrudnichestvo and Russkij Mir, Two Instruments of Russia's Soft Power in the Post­Soviet Era. The “ color revolutions ” that occurred in the mid­2000’s have urged Russia’s ruling elite to diversify its power channels and develop its own soft power strategy (mjagkaja sila). This understanding has been translated into the erection of a multiform state­centered institutional device. The article tackles the cultural and humanitarian sides of Russia’s soft power and public diplomacy with the case study of two representative organizations committed to the promotion of Russian culture and language abroad : the federal agency Rossotrudničestvo and the Russkij Mir Foundation. We put forward the idea that the preservation of Russia’s political influence in the world – most of all through its compatriots’ policy in the post­ Soviet space – tends to be the main purpose of its mjagkaja sila, beyond the strengthening of the country’s potential of attraction and the improvement of the country’s image these institutions initially pretend to achieve.