Image Of Russia Research Articles

The Enemy Next Door: The Image of Russia in Georgian and Ukrainian Political Discourses Amid Conflicts Escalation

Abstract This article presents an analysis of the evolution of Russia’s image representation in Georgian and Ukrainian political discourses amid Russian-Georgian and Russian-Ukrainian conflicts escalation. Even though Georgia’s and Ukraine’s troubled relations with neighboring Russia have been extensively studied, there has been little attention to the ideational dimensions of the confrontations, manifested in elite narratives, that would redraw the discursive boundaries between “Us” and “Them.” This study represents an attempt to fill the void, by examining the core narratives of the enemy, along with the discursive strategies of its othering in Georgian and Ukrainian presidential discourses through critical discourse analysis. The findings suggest that the image of the enemy has become a part of “New Georgia’s” and “New Ukraine’s” identity construction - inherently linked to the two countries’ “choice for Europe.” Russia has been largely framed as Europe’s other, with its “inherently imperial,” “irremediably aggressive” nature and adherence to illiberal, non-democratic values. The axiological and moral evaluations have been accompanied by the claims that the most effective way of standing up to the enemy’s aggression is the “consolidation of democratic nations,” coming down to the two countries’ quests for EU and NATO membership.

The Image of Russia in Paul Durcan’ Book of Poetry “Going Home to Russia”

The Image of Russia in Paul Durcan’ Book of Poetry “Going Home to Russia”

How the image of Russia is formed in school Mongolian history textbooks

How the image of Russia is formed in school Mongolian history textbooks

Формы и каналы взаимодействия молодых соотечественников с Россией в социологическом измерении

The article examines the system of interactions between the young Russian compatriots living abroad and Russia. The article considers the question of how closely young Russian compatriots are connected with Russia. The purpose of the study is to study the forms and channels of interaction of young Russian compatriots with Russia. The article is based on a study of the opinion of young members of the Russian community abroad. The empirical basis of the study is a questionnaire survey conducted in 54 foreign countries. The survey was conducted in groups in social networks and in organizations of Russian compatriots. 2042 respondents aged from 14 to 30 years inclusive were interviewed. Russian studies show that young Russian compatriots largely continue to preserve their Russian identity, identify themselves with the Russian people and speak Russian better than the language of their country of residence. Most of the young compatriots maintain close ties with Russia, which is confirmed by their personal visits to visit relatives, for the purpose of tourism in Russia, etc. A significant part of the interaction is outside the political space, but in the field of informal communication and mass culture, which determines the image of Russia and the people as a whole. The main communication channels are social networks, messengers and Internet resources. The development of centers for the study of the Russian language, education and culture, while expanding the resource base of state policy and its information campaign, can prove to be a powerful tool of the Russian public administration in the long term.

Travelogue as a source of visual representation of the image of Russia in the late 19th - early 20th century

Travelogue as a source of visual representation of the image of Russia in the late 19th - early 20th century

The image and media image of Russia among German citizens against the background of the strengthening of radical attitudes in society

The image and media image of Russia among German citizens against the background of the strengthening of radical attitudes in society

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ВЗАИМНОГО ВОСПРИЯТИЯ РОССИИ И КАЗАХСТАНА

This article contains the comparative study of mutual perception of Russia and Kazakhstan. The authors set themselves the goal of identifying the key features of the mutual perception of countries on grounds of theoretical and methodological methods of political and psychological approach. The research procedure consisted of conducting focused interviews and drawing tests among residents of the studied countries. For the analysis of political perception, qualitative methods with quantitative elements were used. Specifics of images of Russia and Kazakhstan in the minds of citizens of both countries were identified, taking into account the rational and unconscious levels of perception. Also, the authors, relying on the problematic approach, identified the key political and psychological factors that affect the process of mutual socio-political perception. The results of the political and psychological analysis demonstrate that there are grounds in the minds of the inhabitants of Russia and Kazakhstan for the further development of union relations. However, the Russian respondents' perception of Kazakhstan at an irrational level is extremely vague, emotionally neutral, and does not differ in deep affection. There is a negativization of the image of Russia in some of its structural elements (image of power, foreign policy image). The identified trends may soon become a threat to the development of international processes in the Caspian region.

Истоки лагерной темы в творчестве А.И. Солженицына: от поэзии к «Архипелагу ГУЛАГ»

In the present article A.I. Solzhenitsyn’s poetic works and The Gulag Archipelago are analyzed, their proximity and thematic kinship are revealed. The authors appeal to the creative history of these works, remark that poems and parts of the Archipelago are arranged according to a certain pattern. Both in poetry and prose, Solzhenitsyn reveals the path taken by Soviet convicts. Camps for political prisoners and I.V. Stalin’s death take significant place in his works. A.I. Solzhenitsyn is particularly interested in the unity of heroes with nature, communion with it as with an attribute of free people’s life. The writer claims that the camp may become a starting point for spiritual resurrection of a human being. Metaphorization as one of the artistic elements is used for the first time in lyrics to reveal the image of Russia. The authors conclude that the camp theme arose during Solzhenitsyn’s imprisonment and was first expressed in lyrics and the narrative poem Dorozhen’ka. The Gulag Archipelago was formed later not only from the personal experience of the author but also from numerous materials and evidence of eyewitnesses.

The feminine image of Russia in the religious and philosophical writings by Russian thinkers at the turn of the 20th century

The article looks at the versions of the feminine image of Russia in the religious and philosophical reflections of the Russian thinkers who worked during the Silver Age (the period of Russian culture covering approximately 1890–1917): Vladimir Solovyov, Nikolai Berdyaev, and Sergei Bulgakov. Special attention is paid to the balance between the male and female principles, which are endowed with certain characteristics in different works by Russian thinkers, not only from the perspective of human nature but also in terms of the nature of Russian culture and mentality, as well as the cosmic nature of the universe. Analysis of the religious and philosophical pursuit of the Silver Age relating to the feminine image of Russia allows the authors to specify the ideas of the characteristics of femininity engrained in the Russian culture and clarify the role of this pursuit in the development of the reflexive Russian thought directed towards becoming aware of these characteristics. The belief about the salvatory mission carried out by the feminine aspect of the human and cosmic nature distinctively identified in the religious and philosophical writings by the Russian thinkers belonging to the Siver Age requires further study. The research has been conducted within the framework of the symbolic direction of cultural studies with the help of comparative analysis, the method of theoretical reconstruction, and problematic-logical, functional, and systemic approaches. These methods allowed the authors to specify the problematic field of the research and define the main concepts to examine the statements about the feminine aspect of Russian culture by different authors as a unified system of forms aimed at the comprehension of the value and symbolic foundation of the national ethnic culture.

Политико-психологический образ России в массовом сознании граждан среднего возраста

Политико-психологический образ России в массовом сознании граждан среднего возраста

Moscow, Moscovia, Muscovite: The Moscow Canon of English Literature

This paper focuses on the formation and modifications of the “Moscow canon” in English literature. The author refers to some 16th-century travelogues and English literary texts from different epochs. The work aims to provide a systematic description of how motifs and images that constitute the “Moscow canon” of English literature was formed and modified. The author reveals the main connotations present in the notes of English travellers which they took while travelling around Russia in the sixteenth century. The name “Moscovia” was used as a synonym for “Russia” and had peculiar connotations in travelogues connected with the historical context of its appearance in English culture. The connotations used by English travellers in their notes for the words “Moscow”, “Moscovia”, and “Muscovite” had a considerable influence on the image of Russia in English literature both in the seventeenth century and until the present day. It is argued that the “Moscow canon” (as a literary phenomenon, apart from inter-genre travel books) started in Elizabethan literature with a fragmentary use of images borrowed from travels around Moscovia as striking phenomena of a different, non-English part of the world. It is demonstrated how in the English literature of the Enlightenment, the motifs connected with the image of Moscovia are perfected in their form and function and, at the same time, re-evaluated. Starting with the early nineteenth century, the “Moscow canon” was more and more often used in plots focusing on the opposition between British and Russian characters, or a British character plunging into the Russian world. The corresponding images and motifs acquire a deeper and more complicated interpretation in literary works: through them, English writers and poets search for the keys to understanding both Russia and the fundamental problems of modernity. In different historical periods and in the framework of different aesthetic systems, authors chose different “Moscow” motifs and interpreted them in diverse ways. Each time, entering a new created world, these motifs were adapted to certain functions and ideas.

Conceptualizing the strategies of representing the image of Russia: History and Evolution (communicative aspects)

The paper addresses the issue of the genesis and the evolution of the conceptual formation of the official attitudes toward the principles governing the representation of the Russian Federation and their scientific covering. It appearance in key foreign policy documents and its significance is analyzed with the view to two major conceptual schemes: the international image and the objective perception. Both concepts were examined with comparative research methods. The problems of tracing the current transformations in the official rhetoric to the transformations that are now taking shape in promoting Russia are the factors why this issue is relevant. The particular aspects of the research included the key documents of official bodies endowed with powers to shape foreign policy that were published in the period between 2000 and 2019. The activities of the key institutions and content providers in what concerns international positioning were outlines. Holding and covering mega-events, such as the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also served the image needs and, in this respect, was examined in the paper. The concept and method of soft power is introduced for analysis, as it is increasingly efficient and useful in both these respects. The paper concludes with stating that the practice of positive positioning of Russia abroad was substituted in favour of the one of engendering objective perception. The main concern for that consisted in foreign pressure and negative information campaigns, so the decision was a counter measure. In this context, the shift between the two concepts of international promotion is revealed in official documents, having a considerable effect on the communicative potential in terms of acting in accordance with the fundamental values and real attitudes inherent in the Russian culture. Esse quam videri is now not only the national principle, but also the foreign image.

Роль официальной риторики между РФ и США в процессе формирования образа России (2009–2019 гг.)

The image of Russia as an image of any country is undergoing constant changes. In the early 1990s Russia is focused on the democratic world. In the future, the image undergoes serious changes in the 2000s, after the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Munich Security Conference, in which the Russian President outlined the national interests of Russia. In the 2010s, the situation changed dramatically, as Russia supported the consolidation of Russia and the Crimea following to a referendum, thus protecting not only national interests, but also the interests of the Russian-speaking world. The formation of the image is influenced by a number of factors, such as object, subject, temporal, spatial and communication ones. The object factor is represented by political culture and event series. The subjective factor is represented by the values, culture, stories of citizens living in a particular state, in this study the citizens of Russia. The temporal factor is implemented in the historical dynamics of relations between the countries, here Russia and the United States. Communication factor is based on reports, publications of key communication channels in the analyzed states. The study used the content analysis in the period of 2009–2019; 4 828 official publications were analyzed. The presented temporary area of analysis includes the period of Barack Obama’s Presidency (2009–2017) and the beginning of Donald Trump’s Presidency (from 2017 to the present day) in the United States, the D.A. Medvedev’s Presidency (2008–2012) and the V.V. Putin’s Presidency (from 2012 to the present day) in Russia.

Evaluation factors in semantic mechanisms of manipulation (in italian)

The aim of the article is to analyze the manipulative potential of the modern Italian-speaking media space in terms of creating a negative image of Russia as an international player. The sources of language material for the analysis are two authoritative Italian publications − Internazionale newspaper and Formiche.net Internet portal − characterized by the exclusively analytical content of articles and expert comments in the field of international relations and geopolitics, the authors of which are able to significantly influence the readership. The methodological apparatus includes a descriptive method and a method of semantic and syntactic analysis of linguistic units with a manipulative potential. From a pragmatic point of view, examples of evaluation predicates used by the Italian mass media to inform the reader about the actions of the Russian Federation are given. The article may be of interest to linguistic researchers dealing with romance studies, political linguistics, as well as to political scientists interested in Russian-Italian relations.

The Image of Russia in the Media of the EAEU Countries: the Mediametric Analysis

This article is dedicated to study the image of Russia in the media of Eurasian Economic Union countries based on the informational-analytical system “Russia in the world” of “Russia Today”. The author focuses on activity and tonality of information resources in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, moreover the index of their “aggressiveness” in relation to Russia. With the help of an expert survey, the problems of forming a media image of Russia in the EAEU countries were identified and recommendations were made for its improvement. The analysis of empirical data allowed the author to determine the nature of Russia’s positioning in the media coverage of each country, to compile statistics taking into account positive, neutral and negative indicators. Results of the study show the level of information activity in these countries, the factors influencing dynamics of attitude towards Russia in their media fields, as well as presence of anti-Russian tendencies in propaganda of some EAEU states.

The image of Russia in the French print media: a new tone in the context of the 2018 FIFA World Cup

This article looks at the issue of constructing the image of Russia in the French quality press (the newspapers Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien and the magazines Le Point, Le Nouvel Observateur, Paris Match). The content and discourse analysis of their publications has revealed the positive dynamics of the image associated with the level of organisation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the hospitality of Russians, the improved infrastructure and the festive atmosphere in Moscow. French journalists are abandoning the tactics of one-side reporting offering the reader a multifaceted view of what is happening in Russia. Their publications are less tendentious and subjective. Nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine that “one month of football” can radically change the negative image that had been formed over the years. That image is rather connected with more complex issues, such as politics, democratic values and the mindset.

Метафорические модели дискурсивного конструирования негативного образа России в испанских СМИ

This article deals with the problem of discourse designing of the negative image of Russia in Spanish mass media using metaphorical models with the target domain “Russia”. Within the framework of this study, a metaphorical model is defined as a mental scheme of connections between different conceptual domains, which is formed and fixed in the minds of native speakers. The material includes Spanish articles from reputable sources (El País and BBC News in Spanish) mentioning Russia (over 500,000 characters in total). With the use of discourse, corpus and lexical-semantic analysis as well as conceptual analysis of metaphorical models, the author found that the negative image of Russia is constructed in Spanish political media discourse through the following metaphorical models: “Russia is the country of Putin”, “Russia is the heir to the USSR” and “Russia is a pseudo-saviour of the world”. The following frames can be distinguished within the structure of the model “Russia is the country of Putin”: 1) Russia belongs to Putin; 2) Putin is a lifelong president; 3) Putinism is an ideology of Russian citizens. The metaphorical model “Russia is the heir to the USSR” includes the following stereotypical scenarios: 1) authoritarian, undemocratic methods of governance; 2) “Soviet” way of living; 3) backward economy. The frame that exists within the model “Russia is a pseudo-saviour of the world” actualizes the scenario of providing humanitarian aid for show. Among the lexical and grammatical representatives of these metaphorical models are the following: prepositional construction with de and the proper name Putin; adjectives with the semes “infinitely long, eternal” and “entire”; adjectives containing semes of distance/separateness; lexeme soviético, etc. The nominative field of the considered image contains both direct nominations, represented by the toponyms Rusia, Moscú and Kremlin, and metaphors that are mainly related to the size of the state. The stereotypical features of the source domain make it possible to create a negative image of Russia as an authoritarian, undemocratic state with an almost monarchical system, outdated Soviet governance methods, saviour-ofthe-world ambitions, and ostentatious behaviour in the international arena.

Sino-Russian Intercultural Communication Research: Literature Review

International relations between China and Russia have a long-lasting history. At the same time interpersonal contacts between these two ethnic groups face difficulties associated with language, cultural distance, prejudices and other factors. This article presents a review of studies on the problem of Russian-Chinese intercultural interaction. Due to its interdisciplinary nature the studies are scattered both methodologically and with respect to its theoretical foundations. In this regard, we conditionally divide the considered works into four main areas: studying the perception of the image of Russia and China among Russians and Chinese, classification of Sino-Russian communication barriers, cross-cultural analysis of communication components, and indigenous concepts of Chinese psychology related to the process of intercultural interaction. A brief review of the modern research results gained by Russian and Chinese authors on effective communication and building trustful relationships is given. The results of studies revealing important differences at the level of verbal and non-verbal communication are presented. Particular attention is paid to cross-cultural research aimed at identifying etic and emic attributes of the situation of intercultural interaction. The most common approaches to understanding the concept of trust and its operationalization in Chinese studies are described. The importance of further studying mechanisms of building trustful relationships between representatives of the two countries is noted. In conclusion, unresolved problems and current trends in the study of intercultural communication are identified.

Narrative of the Magnitsky Case: Analysis of the Perception of the Russian Agenda Through the Prism of Information Warfare

The article discusses the issues related to the international reaction to the death of the Russian auditor Sergei Magnitsky and the subsequent actions of the countries concerned. The author paid particular attention to the changing image of Russia and the perception of the Russian reality in the media space of foreign countries. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the Magnitsky affair within the framework of the concept of information warfare. It should be realised through the study of the most significant circumstances that influenced the coverage of the investigation and comparison of considered events with other resonant “cases” that are also commonly referred to as manifestations of the information war. The Magnitsky affair, which was on agenda parallel with the period of warming in relations between Russia and the United States, referred to as the ‘reset’, turned out to be an indicator of the existence of fundamental contradictions between the countries of the West and the Russian Federation. At the same time, mass media, both Russian and of other countries, were divided into two groups, covering mainly one of the components of the events in question: human rights and corruption in Russia or foreign origins of business structures related to Magnitsky. The nature of restrictive mutual measures, known as the “Magnitsky Law” and “Dima Yakovlev Law”, emphasised that the contradictions between the parties have not only a political, but also a deeper ideological aspect. The Magnitsky affair allowed assessing the potential of relations between Russia and foreign states, the ability of partners to compromise and to adequately approach problems in interstate relations. The study identifies patterns that led to an increase in international tension, based on the events of a decade ago, which seem to be of considerable interest in understanding the current situation in the world.

From the Present to the Future: N.Ya. Danilevsky’s Image of the Future of Russia

The article is devoted to the analysis of the prognostic component of N.Ya. Danilevsky’s book «Russia and Europe». The article analyzes Danilevsky’s reflections on the past, present and future of Russia. Two images of Russia’s future are identified – positive and negative. The positive image of the future is associated with the formation of the Slavic cultural and historical type. The negative image describes the tragic consequences of imitating European culture. The author of the article examines the features of the specific pictures of Russia’s future and their dependence on social processes, which Danilevsky witnessed and participated in. Comparison of biographical information and significant events in the history of the country that occurred in the time of Danilevsky and his generation, allows us to draw conclusions about the factors that affect the formation of the future individual image.