Centre for Modernity Studies

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'Returning to roots' in post-Soviet Russia

Paul Kroopkin, PhD

Centre for Modernity Studies

Centre for Modernity Studies

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Method of the research

• Internet – Social Networks

• Mutual discussions on social and political issues

• Content analysis

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Results of behavioral analysis

• Evident grouping

• In every group: activists and others; activity – mainly virtual

• In-group solidarity / “hate” between groups

• “Ancestor worship” approach + “conspirological” mind

• “Golden age” in history + “pantheon of heroes”

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Social mapping of the i-activists

• Middle and below-middle classes

• All-over the world: Russia and Russian-speaking population of different countries

• i-Groups in many cases represent an appropriate “real-life” parts of the population

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Main i-groups

• “Westernians”

• “Stalinists” + “Brejnevists”

• “Empirists”

• Russian nationalists

• Ukrainian nationalists

• + other minor i-groups (heathens, etc)

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Attitude to some key memes

W S B E R UWest + - - - -/+ +Jewish resp. for the terror - +/- + + + +Nation-state - - - - + +Stalin - + +/- +/- -/+ -Russophobie + + - - +

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Features of “Ancestor worship”• Prevailing of the past over the future • “Us” are strongly separated from “them”;

“hate” in relationships (virtual)• “Golden age”, where “our” ancestors lived

in power• “Totems”, sacral symbols

• PS: Conspirology: “Enemies” are omnipotent, but ancestors prevailed over them…

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“Westernians”

• Real-life part – most efficient and media powerful group with a strong social identity

• Leading group of a discourse; others – just push off themselves from points of W

• “Golden age”: 20th and 90th of XX

• “Totems”: Western societies in general, USA in particular

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“Stalinists” & “Brejnevists”

• Real-life part – unstructured population of reform’s “losers”

• “Golden age”: 30-50th for S and 70th for B

• “Totems”: Victory in 2WW, Cosmos, A-bomb; for S also - Stalin

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“Empirists”

• Real-life part – unstructured population of reform’s “losers” + part of bureaucracy

• “Golden age”: 80-90th of XIX

• “Totems”: the Great History of Russia and achievements of Romanov’s Empire + Victory in 2WW, Cosmos, A-bomb

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Russian nationalists

• Real-life part – small and unstructured

• “Golden age”: mainly absent, some: medieval republics of north-west Russia

• “Totems”: Nation, Israel's or Baltic’s social practices

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Ukrainian nationalists

• Real-life part – very powerful in Ukraine

• “Golden age”: medieval Kiev’s state

• “Totems”: Nation, Independent Ukraine, Israel's or Baltic’s social practices

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Stalinists vs Westernians