Russian Conflict Research Articles

CURRENT TRENDS IN THE STUDY, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC CONFLICTS

The purpose of this article is to try to identify and analyze problematic issues of the methodology and methodology for studying ethno-national conflict, to characterize political and legal novelties in the field of regulation of ethno-national conflict in Russia and to outline the boundaries and formulate the characteristic features and signs of a “new normality” in the course of the ongoing development of the coronavirus pandemic, will in the long term be a determining factor for the further evolution of ethno-national conflicts, their study and management. For this, a special methodology was formulated, which includes the principles of systemic, theoretical-cognitive, institutional, instrumental and interdisciplinary approaches, mediated by the accepted in social science ideas about the relationship and interaction of subjective and objective factors in social processes with the relative independence of the subject. She allowed to achieve the following results: With regard to the methodological problems of theoretical and applied study of the ethno-national, a complex paradigm for the study of ethno-national conflicts was formed and it was established that in the modern English-language discourse there is a transition from the study of conflicts as phenomena in the system of ethno-national relations to their qualification as inter-religious; political novelties in the system of national relations of the modern Russian state are analyzed and characteristics of the current law enforcement in the system of ethno-national relations in Russia are given; the characteristic of the “new normalcy”, which is forming today in the course of the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, is given, conclusions are drawn regarding the crisis and post-crisis transformation of ethno-national conflicts and approaches to their resolution in the post-pandemic era. The conclusions of the work are as follows: ethno-national conflicts are an objectively cognizable phenomenon; their scientific understanding and analysis require the formation of an integrated (polyparadigmatic) approach. Political novelties in the system of interethnic relations in modern Russia (National Security Strategy) indicate that the country's leadership pays great attention to these issues. At the same time, the law enforcement practice, being, on the one hand, established in the criminal and administrative spheres in the civil law sphere, shows us the ill-considered actions of some subjects. With regard to ethno-national conflicts in the course of a pandemic and post-pandemic new normalcy, it should be stated that they will not disappear anywhere and, on the contrary, may acquire new forms, which will have to be promptly and adequately responded to.

«ПОВІСТЬ ВРЕМЕННИХ ЛІТ» ПРО МІНЛИВУ ДОЛЮ ВОЛИНСЬКОГО КНЯЗЯ ДАВИДА ІГОРЕВИЧА

The article examines the message "Tales of Begone Years" to clarify the circumstances surrounding the life and actions of Prince David Igorevich of Volyn in the context of the history and culture of Rus-Ukraine at the turn of the XI XII centuries. In the process of preparing the article, the works of domestic and foreign researchers are thoroughly studied, in which the figure of David Igorevich is directly or indirectly considered in the context of the history and culture of Kievan Rus, its Volyn lands, in particular Pohorinnia with its center in Dorogobuzh. The changing fate of David Igorevich in the dramatic events in ancient Russia after the death of Yaroslav the Wise in 1054, associated with the open opposition of the prince to the elder Yaroslavych and their sons for possession of his hereditary homeland Volyn lands. The article publishes the author's personal view on the circumstances of the tragic event - the blinding of Prince Vasylko Rostyslavych of Terebovlia in 1097 and the participation of David Igorevich in this crime. Despite the rather negative attitude of his contemporaries and the corresponding assessment in domestic and foreign historiography, it should be acknowledged that David Igorevich was a "hero of his time", a courageous, brave, but also insidious man who openly challenged the powerful princes of Russia. In our opinion, he had objective reasons to fight for his dynastic rights when the elder Yaroslavychs appropriated the Volyn lands that belonged to his father, Igor Yaroslavych. In the feudal conflict in Russia at the turn of the XI XII centuries. David Igorevich was defeated, lost most of the previously acquired lands and, obeying the decision of the congress in Uvetichi in August 1100, lived to his old age (died in 1012) as the owner of Dorogobuzh and Pohorynnia.

Диалоги о правах дворянского собрания в контексте электоральных конфликтов в России первой четверти XIX века

The article presents the results of a research how, in the first quarter of the 19th century, nobility assemblies expressed their disagreement with the governor’s decision not to confirm the results of vote or to discharge the elected candidates for the positions of noble leaders, employees of local administration and court. Historical sources for the research are individual complaints and collective applications of nobility assemblies, reports of governors, and the orders of the Minister of Internal Affairs on the question of elections. Attention is paid to the language features of the texts and the arguments used by the representatives of nobility assemblies regarding their right to challenge the governor’s decisions, even if their position contradicted the operating legal norms. As a result, several interconnected rational and emotional arguments were revealed: the arguments of “honour”, “service” and “general opinion”. The author states that the electoral conflicts in Russia of the last third of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, regardless of whether they were the conflicts of values or the conflicts of interests, were a factor of the emergence of elements of the public sphere and proto-institutes of civil society in Russia.

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

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.

Политические аспекты конфликта поколений в материалах правых российских и польских СМИ 2019–2020 года

The article examines the representations of the generational conflict by the right-wing political media of Russia and Poland. The article intends to examine the features of right-wing ideology in Russia and Poland, to identify the ideological orientations of right-wing media in both countries, and to determine the specifics of right-wing views on the generational conflict in Russia and Poland. The research method is content analysis of media materials in Poland and Russia which covered the protests in Moscow (July — August 2019) and Poland (November 2020). At the moment, the right-wing conservatives form the Polish government, while in Russia the right-wing is represented by a parliamentary party, although other parties (such as United Russia and the Communist party) can also appeal to the right-wing voters. In Poland, the right-wing media is ideologically homogeneous, while in Russia right-wing media can be divided into several groups based on their attitude to the government and major events. This can be explained by the nature of the state (Poland is a national state, while Russia is a multinational one). The conflict of generations is represented by the Polish conservative media as a conflict between the value ideals of the younger generation, on the one hand, and contemporary Polish politicians who are old enough to have witnessed the Communist regime, on the other hand. Polish right-wing media point out the need to fight for the protest youth in order to attract them to their side. Russian conservative media also note the conflict of generations and emphasize that the youth are infantile and lack independence. Russian right-wing media draw attention to the provocative nature of the protests and believe that the leaders’ goal is to arrange for the collision of youth with law enforcement bodies. The Russian right-wing media view the generational conflict as a traditional protest of young people against adults, which will be resolved as young people grow up.

Conflict of laws regulation of the international family relations in the Russian Federation (legislation and jurisprudence)

Russian conflict of laws rules that determine the choice of law applicable to marriage and family relations associated with foreign law and order came into force in 1995 and have been in effect for more than 25 years. Despite the fact that this problem has been studied in great detail in the Russian legal doctrine, the relevance of the analysis of conflict of laws rules set forth in the Family Code of the Russian Federation is by no means exhausted due to the large-scale reform of the rules of Private International Law in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the current legislative regulation of international family relations in other States. The article concludes that conflict of laws regulation of the international family relations in the Russian Federation adopted more than 25 years ago needs serious modernization. It is reasonable to carry out the corresponding updating in the following directions: maximum specification of the content of conflict of laws rules for the purpose of more differentiated regulation of the family relations; establishment of a complex and detailed system of the connecting factors aimed at correct determination of the law the most closely connected with the relation and decision-making; the expansion of possibility of choice of the applicable law to divorce and property relations; application of the law the most favorable for a child should become a dominating connecting factor.

Protracted Conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechnya: American Perspectives on Russian Experience

Since the early 1980s, American scholarly and analytical literature has discussed the effectiveness of Soviet, and subsequently Russian, management of low-intensity conflicts. Though both the Soviet and Russian experience has been examined from many perspectives, including the military, economic, social and political, the American academic community does not tend to deem such an approach relevant and useful in terms of understanding US foreign policy. This disjoint is even harder to understand given the fact that the American military faced the same problems in Afghanistan and Iraq as the Soviet army experienced in Afghanistan (1979–1989), and Russian forces experienced during the First Chechen War (1994–1996). The greatest perplexity for American authors was the ability of Soviet and Russian leaders to recreate a power hierarchy on the ground while relying on their former adversaries – the Afghan Mujahideen and Chechen separatists. According to American intellectual discourse, reliance on a former enemy cannot be considered, by definition, during post-conflict state-building. Since the condition of the Russian conflict settlement model was pragmatism that is opposite to normative approach of the American policies in conflicts, this experience was not in demand in American foreign policy practice. The number of works by American scholars that include the comparison between the Soviet/Russian and the US campaigns is significantly smaller than the number of papers focusing on Soviet and Russian conduct, let alone their experience of nation-building. The aim of this study is to analyse American academic discourse about the Soviet/Russian experience of conducting low intensity conflicts. In the first part, the authors analyse the key mistakes of the Russian leadership during the campaigns, according to the estimates given by American researchers; the second part examines Russian strategy and its conflict settlement drawing comparison with the American experience. The authors conclude that US adaptation on the basis of Russian experiences in Afghanistan and Chechnya has proved impossible due to normative imperatives dominating American academic papers and policies. These imperatives bind the conflict resolution with the level of sophistication of a given country’s institutions. Perhaps, the vice versa claim could have grounds, yet it exceeds the limits of this study.

Lilliput Effect Revisited: Small States and EU Foreign Policy

The role of small member states in EU foreign policy is increasingly being challenged, especially in view of the reforms being proposed to make the EU more effective as an international actor. These reforms, if adopted, will require the small Central and Eastern European member states, such as Bulgaria, to rethink their old foreign-policy strategies and practices. Instead of band-wagoning and balancing conflicting interests, these small member states will have to learn to be more proactive, to build their reputations and to form alliances if they want to continue to have any influence on EU foreign policy. These issues are discussed in the light of the EU sanctions adopted against Russia in the aftermath of the Ukrainian–Russian conflict of 2014.

Human injuries and fatalities caused by brown bears in Russia, 1932–2017

We compiled, summarized and reviewed 338 cases of people killed or injured by brown bears from 1932 to 2017 in Russia, home of about half of the world's brown bears. During the Soviet period, 1932–1990, hunters and outdoor workers were injured/killed by bears more frequently than people engaged in other activities, 28% and 19% among all incidents, respectively. However, after 1991, people who gathered wild resources, hiked or were within human settlements were most affected (22, 16 and 15%, respectively). Single bears were involved in most of the incidents before and after 1991 (76% and 74% of the cases, respectively). In 1991–2017, the post-Soviet period, when data availability was better, bear-caused injuries and fatalities (264 records) occurred more often on the Russian Pacific Coast (111 incidents) and in Siberia (109 incidents) than in European Russia (44 incidents), where human encroachment in bear habitat is higher. During the same period, the percentages of fatalities were not significantly different among the areas; 39% in European Russia, 49% in Siberia and 50% on the Pacific Coast. Casualties occurred mainly during daytime and especially in summer and autumn. In 182 incidents with known probable causes, bears most frequently attacked when provoked or disturbed (38%) and surprised (21%), but 18% of the incidents seemed to reflect bear predatory behavior. Hence, we encourage researchers and wildlife managers to develop educational programs on large carnivore biology and behavior and to better manage human activities in bear country in order to minimize human–bear conflicts in Russia and elsewhere.

Power and Conflict in Russia’s Borderlands. The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute Resolution

Abstract: Power and Conflict in Russia’s Borderlands. The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute ResolutionClaes Levinsson (Uppsala University) reviews Power and Conflict in Russia’s Borderlands. The Post-Soviet Geopolitics of Dispute Resolution by Helena Rytövuori-Apunen.

ЖЕЛЕЗНЫЕ ДОРОГИ СИБИРИ И ДАЛЬНЕГО ВОСТОКА В ГОДЫ ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ВОЙНЫ (1918–1922) Статья вторая

The article recreates the pages of history of rail transport in Siberia and the Far East in the period of acute social conflict in Russia in 1918-1922 years. The Trans-Siberian and the Chinese Eastern railway had access to the main ports of Russia in the Pacific. The Amur and Ussuri Railways were seized by white guards and interventionists who carried out punitive actions against railway workers and civilians. As a consequence of this occupation policy in Primorye, the Amur region and Transbaikalia developed guerrilla movement. The authors cite numerous facts that show that during the years of the civil war, the Railways suffered greatly, being destroyed by a number of active participants in those events – the whites, the interventionists, the guerrillas, and the People's Revolutionary army.

Working time reduction as the factor of solving retirement conflict

One of the main sources of social economic tension in Russian society became the promotion and acceptance in 2018 of the bill on retirement age increase initiated by the government. Conflict of the created situation expressed itself in a great number of protest meetings in the country againstpension reform. The aim of the article is to give a foundation of the effective way of solving the conflict caused by such reform. For this purpose its influence upon social economic state of labor relations sides is analyzed, the experience of retirement age increase in Germany and France is investigated, the perspective of solving the appeared conflict is defined. Dialectical method as the one which allows to discover the contradictions of the labor relation sides interests is realized. Table method of tendencies analysis in time worked dynamics in economically developed countries is used, the differentiation of workers age cohorts for the evaluation of the consequences of retirement reform is applied. It is found that the main source of retirement conflict in Russia is the degradation of workers position in connection with the growth of the time worked per working life in comparison with the cohort that retired before the reform. By the analysis of the innovate foreign experience the possibility of connection of retirement age increase, on the one hand, and the total number of hours worked per life, on the other hand, is discovered. It is shown that this possibility is the result of the regularity of the working time reduction which is inherent to the modern economy. The role of transition to the six hours working day in Russia as the effective way of solving retirement conflict without rejection of retirement age increase is revealed.

Ethnopolitical Conflicts in Transit Time as Moral and Psychological Phenomenon (Attempts of Diagnosis and Treatment)

The article observing psychoanalytic and other psychological approaches to description and overcoming ethnopolitical conflicts in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. The materials of the International Dialogue Initiative group and the scientific works of its members are used broudly. The notion of psychological trauma and phenomenon of post-traumatic syndrome, inherent in transit societies, are considered in details. National anmity is subject on analysis through the psychoanalytic concept of “chosen trauma”. The special attention is paid to the issues of psychological treatment aspects of ethnical traumas. Relation to former war as to common trauma, but mourned and buried trauma, might helpful for adaptive transformation of it in the public consciousness and reconciliation between former enemies, in the end. The conception of essential human need to have both enemies and allies, elaborated by outstanding psychoanalyst Vamik Volkan, is one of the key factors for it.

Исследование региональных и городских политических конфликтов: основные концепты и перспективы развития субдисциплин

The article discusses the development of sub-disciplines of political conflictology –the regional and urban political conflicts studies – during the period of the 1990 s – 2020 s. The main trends in the formation of scientific concepts and approaches in these areas are indicated, the features of their evolution are revealed. By the regional political conflict resolution, they are associated with limited opportunities to use foreign developments in a similar orientation. Russian researchers have developed original concepts of “complex conflict” and “bloc conflict”, which have great cognitive potential and it has not been fully realized now. The conflictologies' scientists are working in the field of studying urban development processes are faced with the need to adapt science-based approaches to the analysis of Russian conflict practices. This, in particular, has led to the limited applicability of proven interests matching technologies. The solution of these problems is possible due to the results a number the scientific projects being implemented at the present time. According to the author, at the present stage there is a certain decline in studies of regional political conflicts, associated with a reduction in public policy space in the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as stagnation in the further development of basic concepts. In the field of urban political conflict research, on the contrary, there has been an increase in the number of scientific publications, the development of theoretical and political management approaches.

Modeling and measuring class conflict in Russia’s regions

This article tests whether latent class conflict exists in Russia. It does so by theorizing that if class conflict exists, it should be reflected in the tax policy. The article constructs an original formal model of the authoritarian tax policy choice, finding equilibria in which the local government takes into account public sentiment even in the absence of elections, in an effect that resembles a market. This public sentiment is operationalized by performing a large- n latent Dirichlet allocation topic analysis of Russian regional newspaper articles dealing with the middle and working classes. In empirically testing its formal model, this article finds evidence that certain tax policy is driven by class conflict.

An ethnopolitical conflict in Russia's Republic of Mari El in the 2000s: The study of ethnic politics under the authoritarian turn

The paper presents an analysis of the political confrontation between the new ruling group and the political opposition in the Republic of Mari El, which began in the early 2000s and subsequently erupted into an open ethnopolitical conflict. Based on some theoretical perspectives on conflict and diversity management, the paper analyzes the structural characteristics and the dynamics of the conflict in Mari El. The analysis reveals that authoritarian tendencies in the republic largely contributed to the eruption of the conflict and predetermined the choice of methods of conflict management.

The East’s Eastern Front: The Ottoman–Russian Clash in the Great War and Its Legacies

This article provides an overview of the neglected Caucasian front of the First World War and explores its impact on the overall course of the war and its legacy for the Middle East and Eurasia. By unexpectedly prolonging hostilities and leading the Russian empire to overextend itself, the conflict with the Ottoman empire contributed critically to Russia’s revolutionary crisis and collapse and thereby altered decisively the fate of the Middle East and Eurasia. The article places the Ottoman–Russian conflict in the context of the relentless growth of Western European military and economic might from the eighteenth century onward.

Language Conflicts in Russia’s Education System

This article analyses changes to the language policy in Russia in 2017, and their effects on the state (national) languages of Russia’s republics within the education system. In July 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech at the Council on Interethnic Relations, addressing the language rights of the Russian-speaking population and stressing the existing limit of the power of Russia’s 22 ethnic republics to introduce compulsory study of their official languages. The President’s statements provoked widespread prosecutorial inspections in the republics’ schools and a new round of public discussion about language policy. Public discontent in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and Komi led to protests against both ethnic Russians and the native speakers of languages recognised as co-official with Russian (‘state languages of the republics’). The authorities of some republics publicly disagreed with the position taken by the federal government. In other republics, however, the President’s speech did not trigger any public discussion. In many republics, it looks like the regional authorities will ultimately accept the decision of the federal government and speakers of republican languages will not actively defend their languages. Effectively, the balance of rights of the federation and the republics for the establishment of state languages, achieved in the 1990s, was violated.

Norilsk Nickel: the longest corporate war in a leading Russian company

Theoretical basis In any company, there are conflicts of interest and different opinions on the business strategy. However, a well-established system of corporate governance allows us to minimise those conflicts and enables most disagreements to be solved in a civilised way. The case provides an opportunity to examine the specifics of corporate conflicts in Russia and improves decision-making skills with a view to increase business efficiency. Research methodology This descriptive case was written using the secondary sources from the Russian and foreign media, as well as other publicly available information about Norilsk Nickel. No information was disguised in any way. Case overview/synopsis This case study is a story of a dramatic corporate conflict at the Russian company Norilsk Nickel, one of the world’s leading producers of precious metals. In 2008–2012, the company went through a painful conflict between the majority shareholders (oligarchs Mr Potanin and Mr Deripaska) for the control over the business. The case of Norilsk Nickel was indeed a crucial case for Russia which helped define the “rules of the game”. In 2019, however, the situation looked prone to the escalation of the old conflict. The fact that from 2018 both oligarchs were under the US sanctions added further tensions. Complexity academic level This case is most appropriate for courses in corporate governance, business ethics and doing business in Russia at the undergraduate or graduate level. There is a sufficient number of extenuating circumstances to make for a good discussion of strategic and tactical factors in this type of a corporate governance decision analysis. The complexity of the case is a perfect illustration of the Russian business environment: it is never easy in the Russian business environment to figure out what is important and what is not.

Labor Conflicts in Russia: Current Trends

In the modern world, labor conflicts are an integral part of social and labor relations. Official statistics record only that part of the conflicts that has grown into strikes, given the number of workers who took part in it and the loss of working time. Scientific institutes and research centers dealing with this issue, considering the issue more broadly, collect more detailed data. The presented work analyzes various sources of information on labor conflicts in Russia over the past few years. As results, the main trends for the last three years are identified and an assessment of possible causes is given, the main regulatory measures are proposed taking into account the role of the state and trade unions.