Russian Nationalism Research Articles

The Perception of Medical Doctors on the Part of Hindu, Russian and Kazakh Linguoculture Bearers: Association Experiment

The objective of the article is to study the perception of medical doctors by Hindu, Russian and Kazakh linguoculture bearers by means of cognitive analysis of association data obtained from the psycholinguistic experimental study conducted among Hindi, Russian and Kazakh native speakers. Methods of the research include a free association experiment with a stimulus words डॉक्टर in Hindi, врач in Russian, and дəрігер in Kazakh, modelling the associative field DOCTOR and its cognitive structure, defining the universal and ethno-specific features of medical doctors as perceived by the representatives of Indian, Russian and Kazakh nations. The obtained associative data were distributed according to the frequency criterion, followed by content analysis and categorization. As a result, while comparing association fields in Hindi, Russian, and Kazakh languages the quantitative asymmetry of semantic zones and their associates is revealed. Conceptualization of medical doctors in the Hindu, Russian and Kazakh language consciousness includes both universal and ethno-specific features. The results of the study integrate the experiences of different nations simplifying the perception of their peculiarities, and may have a positive impact on cross-cultural interactions.

Looking Back at the Gouzenko Defection

A historical perspective aids our understanding of the present and capacity to anticipate the future. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but particularly its brutality and policy of “constructive destruction,” was shocking and unexpected, but faced with Russia’s relegation from superpower status, it was always a possibility that Putin would emulate Stalin’s determination to maintain Russian influence in the world and challenge the West’s dominance. The risk of recurrent totalitarianism borne of the fear, distrust, and mutual demonization which characterized the ideological rivalry of the early Cold War years has led to a search for historical analogies of relevance to the growing East/West tensions of today that threaten to bring about a second Cold War or limited nuclear conflict. The motivating ideology for Russian expansionism is no longer Communism, but a mythical narrative that promotes Russian nationalism, patriotism, and exceptionalism. Putin’s authoritarian state with its concentration of power and recourse to propaganda, disinformation, and lies is daily looking more Stalinesque and the Cold War question—how to contain Russian ambition—remains to be answered. While the focus has so far been on Stalin’s geopolitical strategy regarding Russia’s near neighbors, two books about the first post–World War II defection in 1945 merit re-visiting for the in-depth analysis and insights they provide into the period and the mindset of participants caught up in that affair. The defector, Igor Gouzenko, a Russian cyber clerk, insisted that Russia was preparing for a Third World War. His revelations precipitated the start of the Cold War.

Porotic Hyperostosis Observed in the 16th to 19th Century Crania of Native Siberians, Russian Settlers, and Joseon Dynasty Koreans

Porotic hyperostosis (PH) is the skeletal marker used in the estimation of physiological stress suffered in childhood. Despite a conventional hypothesis that mankind’s health conditions declined with the advent of agriculture, there are few reports comparing the PH seen on ancient crania of hunters-fishermen-gatherers and agrarian peoples. In this study, we examined the crania of 16th to 19th century Eurasian peoples: Siberian natives (hunters-fishermen-gatherers), Russian settlers, and Joseon Koreans (agriculturalists) to see whether PH could be observed to differ between populations with varying subsistence strategies. The prevalence of PH decreased in the order of Joseon people (18.9 %), Russian settlers (6.3 %), and Siberian natives (3.8 %). In brief, the hunters-fishermen-gatherers’ stress level was lower than agriculture-based Joseon people and Russian settlers. In addition, Joseon people might have been exposed to more serious stressful episodes than Russian settlers were. We assume that the former might have lived under much stressful conditions than the latter did, though both people depended on intense agriculture. As for sexual dimorphism of PH: in all groups, males were identified with more PH signs than females were. Our report successfully shows that the detailed pattern of stress markers might have been influenced by complex interactions between various factors that existed under different conditions in history.

Paradoxical Russian nationalism in the Soviet context: a contentious literary debate in 1969–1970

Paradoxical Russian nationalism in the Soviet context: a contentious literary debate in 1969–1970

Russian dictionary with concreteness/abstractness indices

The demand for a Russian dictionary with indices of abstractness/concreteness of words has been expressed in a number of areas including linguistics, psychology, neurophysiology and cognitive studies focused on imaging concepts in human cognitive systems. Although dictionaries of abstractness/concreteness were compiled for a number of languages, Russian has been recently viewed as an under-resourced language for the lack of one. The Laboratory of Quantitative Linguistics of Kazan Federal University has implemented two methods of compiling dictionaries of abstract/concrete words, i.e. respondents survey and extrapolation of human estimates with the help of an original computer program. In this article, we provide a detailed description of the methodology used for assessing abstractness/concreteness of words by native Russian respondents, as well as control algorithms validating the survey quality. The implementation of the methodology has enabled us to create a Russian dictionary (1500 words) with indices of concreteness/abstractness of words, including those missing in the Russian Semantic Dictionary by N.Yu. Shvedova (1998). We have also created three versions of a machine dictionary of abstractness/concreteness based on the extrapolation of the respondents' ratings. The third, most accurate version contains 22,000 words and has been compiled with the use of a modern deep learning technology of neural networks. The paper provides statistical characteristics (histograms of the distribution of ratings, dispersion, etc.) of both the machine dictionary and the dictionary obtained by interviewing informants. The quality of the machine dictionary was validated on a test set of words by means of contrasting machine and human evaluations with the latter viewed as more credible. The purpose of the paper is to give a detailed description of the methodology employed to create a concrete/abstract dictionary, as well as to demonstrate the methodology of its application in theoretical and applied research on concrete examples. The paper shows the practical use of this vocabulary in six case studies: predicting the complexity of school textbooks as a function of the share of abstract words; comparing abstractness indices of Russian-English equivalents; assessing concreteness/abstractness of polysemantic words; contrasting ratings of different age groups of respondents; contrasting ratings of respondents with different levels of education; analyzing concepts of "concreteness” and “specificity”.

Cultural and historical conditions of modifications in Russian phraseological units with letter names

The article discusses causes, ways, and results of modifying Russian phraseological units with a letter-name component, which play a significant role in all written linguistic cultures. The relevance of the theme is proven by the sustained attention of linguists to the origin and functioning of phraseological units, the objective to comprehend the underlying processes of interacting between extralinguistic reality, including culture, and language structures, and by the social demand - the rise of interest of native Russian speakers in the national essence and history of the alphabet. The study aims at identifying causes for modification of Russian phraseological units with letter-name components, demonstrating the central role of cultural and historical factor in the modification process, analyzing modification ways and results. The material of the study includes dictionaries and text corpora, along with the authors’ own collection of examples from spontaneous speech in Russian films and digital media. Descriptive and historical-etymological methods, contextual, semantic and structural analysis, and the method of double application were used in the research. The paper argues that the main historical and cultural causes of modifications of phraseological units in question include spelling reforms, progressive methods of teaching reading and writing, language contacts of Russian speakers with people using other writing systems, changes in cultural and ideological priorities, influential works of art. The main way of modification - lexical change of the old letter name to the contemporary one - concedes to more creative ways not only in the sphere of occasional creation of phraseological units, as before, but also in common usage. As a result of this modification, former international models of phraseological units develop national features.

Russians’ attitude to the constitutional nihilism

The subject of the research is the problem of constitutional nihilism in views of Russian citizens.The purpose of the article is to confirm or disprove a hypothesis about a strong influence of constitutional nihilism in the Russian Federation on people mind. The research was made to identify the most and least dangerous forms of constitutional nihilism existing in the territory of the Russian Federation also.The methodology. The public opinion poll was conducted in Google Forms. The research consists of 15 open and closed questions. 1078 respondents from 28 constituent entities of the Russian Federation took part in the poll. They represent all eight Russian federal districts.The main results, the scope of application. Over 70% of respondents have a negative stance on constitutional nihilism especially after the approval of the last Constitutional Amendments in 2020. According to the public opinion poll, the majority of respondents evaluate the Russian Constitution of 1993 as positive. 67,1% of respondents agree that constitutional nihilism came from western countries and only almost a quarter of respondents stated the nature of constitutional nihilism as native Russian. 64,4% of respondents choose constitutional reform as the most dangerous form of constitutional nihilism. 62,1% of respondents choose the forming of unconstitutional legal awareness as the most dangerous form of constitutional nihilism and 49,8% choose authorities’ discredit as it. The least dangerous forms of constitutional nihilism according to public opinion pall are a civil war (39,7%) and constitutional fiction (31,6%).Conclusions. The results reveal a high level of unconstitutional legal awareness in Russian society. The author has confirmed its hypotheses and discovered the most and the least dangerous forms of constitutional nihilism. The author plans to repeat the research the next year and cover people from more Russian constituent entities.

Педагогическая риторика в обучении учителя и ученика

The article describes the experience of teaching pedagogical rhetoric as part of the subject of the culture of native Russian speech. The problem of the professional competence of the teacher of preschool and primary education in the field of speech activity is raised. The author briefly characterizes the history of the development of pedagogical rhetoric. A significant difference is emphasized in the quality of the language training of a teacher, educator and children, as well as ways to overcome this gap in the process of joint speech work. The styles and genres of speech inherent in the teacher as a carrier of the speech profession are characterized, methods and algorithms for their development are proposed. Additional sources of knowledge about listening and speaking as oral forms of speech of a teacher and a child, as well as speech samples from works of children's literature are named.

“Орієнт чи Окцидент”: проблема вибору України у трактуванні Ольґерда Бочковського

In the numerous writings of the scientist Olgerd Bochkovsky (1885–1939) the theme of the enslaved nations. Exploring the so-called unhistorical nations he highlighted three phases in the process of their national renaissance: the revival of culture (the return to the native language and its development), economic emancipation, and politicization of the movement toward autonomy or independence. He denied the idea of unity between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples (pan–Russian nation or triune Russian nation), considering that the Ukrainian people have every reason to create an independent state. He identified the difficulties that existed for its realization: the geographical location of Ukraine, which was the boundary between Europe and Asia, the split of Ukraine and the opposite historical and political development of the Dnieper Ukraine and Western Ukraine and the lack of unity among Ukrainian politics. The scientist gave positive predictions about the future of Ukraine only on the condition of the formation of a modern Ukrainian nation. Independent and democratic Ukraine, which was supposed to become the center of the crystallization of Eastern Europe, according to O. Bochkovsky, is a condition for world peace and security of peoples.

The Local Dynamics of Nation Building: Identity Politics and Constructions of the Russian Nation in Kazan and Ekaterinburg

AbstractThis article explores the role of place-based identity politics in constructions of the Russian nation by nongovernmental actors in the cities of Kazan and Ekaterinburg. Departing from more established approaches to the study of nation building concerned with elite strategies and actions, it contributes to an emerging line of inquiry focused on the agency of mesolevel actors. Drawing on interviews and analysis of public communications, the article demonstrates that actors such as museums, activist groups, and religious institutions creatively employ mainstream discursive practices present also in state narratives to anchor the nation in local symbols. At the same time, they position themselves in locally specific identity cleavages concerning city, regional, and ethnonational minority identities. The findings show that the imbrication of local identity politics in their narratives can problematize nation building by exposing contradictions in federal discourses or troubling the association of nation and state. Emphasizing the importance of locally situated processes of constructing the nation in conjunction with other scales of belonging, the article argues that nation building in Russia is complicated by mesolevel practices of identity making that can simultaneously support and subvert it.

Cross-border spaces in the perception of threats to Russia's National Security

Changes in international relations and perceptions of national security are forcing individual States to expand the contours of their own security borders. It is not uncommon for these contours to go far beyond their own borders. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the perception of the transformation of cross-border spaces in the system of threats to Russia's national security. The main materials of the study were socio-political discourse, in particular individual speeches of the President of Russia, the national security strategy and other normative and doctrinal documents in the field of ensuring the security of the Russian Federation. The studied narratives and comparison of statements and reactions to individual regional transformations, compared with doctrinal documents in the field of national security, allowed us to identify trigger points. In particular, in comparison of the political changes in Afghanistan, Finland and Ukraine, it was revealed that it is the value transformation at the current moment in the vision of the Russian elite that is of the greatest concern, both regionally and politically and socially. The basis of the research methodology is a systematic approach, content analysis, and a comparative approach, which made it possible to identify the dominants in the current political discourse and determine the reason for the perception of the transformation of cross-border spaces by the Russian elite in a certain way. As a result, it is determined that the change of the value paradigm is perceived as something significantly more dangerous than a military threat, as well as the expansion of NATO to the east, which is by no means perceived as an equivalent threat. In addition, the Russian elite perceives the current international system as something unfair, due to the capabilities of Western states to influence areas lying near the borders of Russia. While Russia itself does not have the opportunity to broadcast its ideas and values on territories far from its borders. Changes in the value orientation of cross-border areas lying in the border of Russia are perceived by the elite at the moment as the main national threat to the country's security.

Mental well-being in residents of monolingual and multilingual regions of Russia

IntroductionDespite numerous studies of the mental health and well-being of the population depending on various factors, insufficient attention is paid to the research of the relationship between well-being and mono- and multilingual regional specifics in multilingual and multicultural Russia.ObjectivesThis study aims to identify a possible relationship between mental well-being in some regions of the Russian Federation and monolingualism and multilingualism inherent in these regions.MethodsThe study involved 966 participants (29.5% men and 70.5% women) aged 11 to 80 years (M=24.8; SD=12.19) from six regions of the Russian Federation: Crimea, Adygea, Bashkortostan, Sakha, Tatarstan and Kabardino-Balkarian region. The mental well-being of participants was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Tennant et al., 2006; Tennant et al., 2007).ResultsThe measures of mental well-being were compared among residents from the regions as following categories: native Russian language speakers in monolingual regions (144 participants); native Russian language speakers in multilingual regions (193 participants); native national language speakers in multilingual regions (325 participants); native Russian and national languages speakers in multilingual regions (304 participants). Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), it was found that there were no significant differences in the assessments of mental well-being (F = 0.852; p = 0.521) among residents from the above categories.ConclusionsResidents who are native speakers in Russian and national languages and are living in Russia’s regions with monolinguism and multilinguism demonstrate no difference in mental well-being measures. The reported study was funded by the RFBR, project number 17-29-09167.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system in Tuvan alcoholics is associated with a high level of stress in comparison with ethnic Russian patients

IntroductionAlcoholization is considered as prolonged auto-aggression, low frustration tolerance, filling of the existential vacuum. In all cases, the use of a psychoactive substance that alters the state of consciousness is regarded as a way of escape from real life.ObjectivesThe study of clinically significant markers in alcoholism associated with the constitutional characteristics of craving for alcohol in people of different ethnicity is importance for the formation of new approaches to prevention and treatment.Methods68 Russian alcoholics and 67 Tuvans alcoholics only men and 20 healthy male were monitored. Clinical assessment of the condition of patients was carried out with the traditional clinical description. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to determine serum hormone levels in patients and volunteers.ResultsDeeper shifts in the increase in ACTH and Cortisol levels were found in alcoholic Tuvinians compared with Russian patients, which is associated with a high risk of alcohol dependence and a highly progressive course of the disease. The index of the ratio Cortisol/ACTH (IR) in the blood of alcoholic patients of the Russian (IR - 10,36) and Tuvan (IR - 10,62) nationalities does not differ, but significantly (1.5 times) differs from the indicator in healthy individuals (IR - 15,12).ConclusionsThe background level of dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients of Tuvan nationality is significantly more pronounced, however, the index of Cortisol/ACTH ratios (IR) in each ethnic group of patients is constant in this disease, which is characterized by a high level of stress.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

The view of modern Chinese researchers on Russian and Russian philosophy

Russian Russian Philosophy The purpose of this work was, firstly, to find the reasons for the interest of Chinese researchers in Russian and Russian philosophy; secondly, to identify both Chinese criticism of Russian philosophy and positive acceptance, as well as their causes. Comparative, classification method, content analysis method were used.The main reasons and goals of Chinese philosophers in the study of Russian philosophy were identified and formulated. Russian Russian scholars have given some examples of criticism of Russian religious philosophy and modern Russian philosophy, as well as works whose authors tend to positively evaluate certain achievements of Russian philosophy. The results can be used in the preparation of lectures on foreign philosophy, as well as for further research in the field of reception of Russian philosophy abroad.The general conclusion from the work done may be the awareness of the practical approach of the Chinese to the study of foreign philosophy – their desire to extract the maximum benefit from the studied subject to solve the problems faced by China in the process of modernization and globalization. Russian Russian philosophy's more specific conclusions are that both the acceptance and criticism of the achievements of Russian/Russian philosophy by the Chinese are based not on theoretical, but on pragmatic grounds – how important they are for the Russian or Chinese nation and the world as a whole.The scientific novelty lies in carrying out such an analysis and isolating the above positions on the material of Chinese works of the XXI century, including texts published in October 2021.

Мониторинговые исследования этнополитических процессов в регионах России: методы власти и научного сообщества

The article contains the analysis of methods for implementing monitoring studies in Russia in the field of interethnic and interfaith relations, as well as a description of the interaction in this matter between the authorities and the scientific and expert community. Based on the analysis of the reporting materials of the relevant department for 2016–2020, the author reveals the nature of the interaction between the authorities and the scientific community in harmonizing interethnic relations and strengthening the unity of the Russian nation. The article formulates a conclusion that the formats of cooperation with the scientific community established by the authorities in this field of activity stimulate the growth of professionalism and competition among researchers for perceiving them as authoritative specialists (experts) on ethnopolitics by the authorities and the public.

Russkiias the NewRossiiskii? Nation-Building in Russia After 1991

AbstractRussia’s post-1991 nation-building project has been torn between competing interpretations of national identity. Whereas the other former Soviet republics opted for nation-building centered on the titular nation, Russia’s approach to national identity was framed by the fact that the RSFSR had been definednotas a designated national homeland but as a multi-ethnic federation. This, coupled with Russia’s definition as the legal successor of the Soviet Union, suggesting continuity and a history of uninterrupted statehood, has enabled a range of rivaling understandings of how to define the “nation.” Focusing on top-down official nation-building, this article examines how, against a backdrop of shifting political contexts, structural constraints, and popular attitudes, the Kremlin has gradually revised its understanding of what constitutes the “Russian nation.” Four models for post-Soviet Russian nation-building are identified – the ethnic, the multi-national, the civic, and the imperial. Over time, the correlation of forces among these has shifted. The article concludes that, despite some claims of an ethno-nationalist turn after 2014, the Kremlin still employs nationalism instrumentally: National identity has undoubtedly become morerusskii-centered, but, at the same time, the Kremlin keeps the definition of “Russianness” intentionally vague, blurring the boundaries between “nation” and “civilization.”

Russian Empire in Public and Political Discourse of Galician Rus’ in the 19th and Beginning of the 20th Century

The article analyzes the role and place of the Russian Empire in the Galician-Russian public and cultural activities in the 19th century. Representatives of the Galician-Russian intelligentsia in the 19th century considered Galician and Ugric Rusyns from Austria-Hungary to be part of the common civilizational community consisting of Great Russians, Little Russians and White Russians. Galician-Russian intelligentsia interpreted the formation of the Muscovite Rus and then Russian Empire, the formation of the Russian culture and Russian literary language as the result of the common political and cultural efforts of the representatives of the Great and Little Rus, emphasizing the role of Galician natives in common Russian history. In particular, Galician-Russian enlighteners stressed the importance of activities of the Little Rus native F. Prokopovich, who became the leading ideologist of the reforms of Peter the Great. In the second half of the 19th century Galician-Russian intelligentsia acted as Russian patriots defending the political and cultural interests of the Russian state and culture and criticizing Polish and Ukrainian national movements in Galicia. The Austro-Hungarian administration used the First World War as a suitable pretext for the physical liquidation of the representatives of Galician-Russian movement in Galicia.

Putin and Erdoğan – A “Beautiful Friendship” of Illiberal Presidents

Putin and Erdoğan’s “beautiful friendship” has been defining Russian–Turkish political, diplomatic and economic relations on the one hand, and the handling of many conflicts, including the Syrian civil war, for nearly two decades on the other. It can be said that in many cases, when the interests of the Russian and Turkish states clash with each other or there are conflicts of principle and values, it is the two presidents who, because of their similar habitus and political character, find solutions to the problems. One thing is for sure: without the personalities of Erdoğan and Putin, the recent history of the two nations would not be so diverse and full of twists and turns. This article would like to give an analytical journey into the common history of the Turkish and Russian nations, as well as to the souls of the two politicians to look at the reasons and motivations behind the often contradictory political moves. As relatively little work has been done on the topic in Turkish, but more in English, the study is based on scientific papers and Internet publications written in the latter language. It aims at disclosing the role of the two regional powers in a global framework.

Biological Laboratories in the Caucasus Region as Sources of Threats to Russia's National Security

Currently, dozens of biological laboratories controlled by the US Department of Defense are deployed along the perimeter of the Russian Federation. They are operating in a closed regime and completely excluded from the jurisdiction of the states on whose territory they are located. The purpose of this work is to summarize the available information on the activities of these biolabs, controlled by the US Department of Defense in the Caucasus region. The deployment of these biolabs under the US control in the Caucasus region is due to its favorable geographical position – in the north it borders the Russian Federation, and in the south – Iran. In addition, people of various ethnic groups (about 50) live compactly in the Caucasus region in various climatic conditions and in diverse areas. These circumstances make it possible to develop bioagents of various ethnic orientations. All these biolabs are «dual-use» facilities that are part of the US-controlled biosecurity system. They allow the US Department of Defense to solve the following tasks: to create and test a new generation of biological weapons; to collect information on endemic biopathogens, ways of distribution and means of combating them in the Russian Federation; to control the biological situation on the territory of the Russian Federation; to carry out military biological research without fear of protests from the American public; to create dangerous pathogens and genetic weapons; to conduct tests of biological agents on humans, tracking their virulence, delivery routes, probable mortality of the population and livestock; to circumvent international agreements and conventions on the control of bioweapons; to carry out biosabotage aimed at destroying the personnel of the Armed Forces and the population of Russia, causing damage to the economy of our country by destroying livestock, infecting grain crops and discrediting Russian agricultural products on world markets. These US-controlled biolabs deployed along the perimeter of the Russian Federation threaten the national security of Russia and the countries in which they are located. Serious diplomatic efforts are needed to curtail their activities in the Caucasus region.

Features of the sovereignty of the psychological space of students in the context of ethnic identity: a cross-cultural aspect

Introduction. The study of the sovereignty of the psychological space of the individual in the context of ethnic identity is highly relevant in the modern conditions of the spread of globalism and the erosion of cultural reference points. One of the applied values of such a study can be the use of its results in the practice of organizing the educational work of an educational institution. The aim of the study is to identify a statistically significant relationship between the sovereignty of the psychological space (SPP) and ethnic identity (EI) in Armenian and Russian students. Materials and methods. The study was conducted in 2021 in Russia (Volgograd) and Armenia (Yerevan). A total of 166 people took part in it, representatives of the Armenian and Russian nationalities, boys (76 people – 36 Armenians, 40 Russians) and girls (90 people – 48 Armenian and 42 Russian girls) aged 18 to 25 years. To determine the level of development of SPP, we used the SPP questionnaire (S. K. Nartova-Bochaver), and to determine ethnic identity – the method “Types of EI” (G.U. Soldatova, S.V. Ryzhova). Research results. Differences in the indicators of SPP, and the relationship between the SPP and the type of EI have been established. The results obtained in general and in each of the groups allow us to draw the following conclusions. First, the average-normal SPP in the sample as a whole indicates the absence of obvious neurotization and deviations. Secondly, the higher level of SPP among Armenians (mainly Diaspora Armenians) corresponds to the assumption of such a reaction to the conditions of existence outside the mother ethnic group (for such sectors of the PPP as “territory” (p = 0.003), “world of things” (p = 0.014), “social ties” (p = 0.004) Third, the conjugation of the level of SPP with the prevailing type of EI is due to the actualization of ethnicity in the conditions of multicultural existence (K = 0.509, at p = 0.000). Conclusion. Comparative analysis of SPP and ethnic identity among respondents of two ethnic groups showed that, indeed, the severity of the problem of sovereignty in general and the relevance of its various aspects may be associated with attributions of belonging. We found statistically significant differences in the SPP related to the ethnicity of the respondents, as well as the relationship between the SPP and the dominant type of ethnic identity.