Putinism Post-Soviet Russian Regime Ideology

With this book, Mikhail Suslov joins the swollen ranks of Russia-watchers who for nearly two decades have endeavoured to identify and describe that most slippery of subjects, namely Putinism as an ideology. Suslov however takes a novel approach. Avoiding an overly exclusive focus on the persona of Putin himself, the author rather directs his attention to a number of more general contemporary perspectives in Russiaconservatism, nationalism, geo-politics, and religionand shows how a Putinist ideology takes shape through its complex intersections with each of these. A historian of ideas rather than a political scientist, Suslov brings an unusual skill-set to his analysis, and he offers a series of compelling insights into the contemporary relevance of debates about Russian politics and identity that date back to the nineteenth century. Putinism Post-Soviet Russian Regime Ideology is not only a work of impressive erudition and originality: it is precisely what is needed today to help us more fully comprehend the destructive ideological energies that drive Putins politics, both within Russia and beyond. Mark Bassin, Research Professor, Sdertrn University and Research Director, Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden Putinism Post-Soviet Russian Regime Ideology offers the first comprehensive assessment of Putinism as an ideology. In this long-awaited analysis, Mikhail Suslov proposes a nuanced and in-depth exploration of the different conceptual, historical, and institutional layers of constitutive Putinist ideology that brings precious insights to both scholars and policy experts. Marlene Laruelle, Director, Illiberalism Studies Program and Director, Russia Program, The George Washington University, Washington, USA Suslovs monograph will become the standard work on the emerging ideology of Putinism. The book is a brilliant exposition of the different strands of political thought that have contributed to contemporary Putinism. Suslov's deep scholarship makes a convincing case that Putinism is a genuine ideology, which might even outlive Putin himself. David Lewis, Professor of Politics, University of Exeter, UK

Mikhail Suslov is Associate Professor in the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

1 Introduction: Understanding Putinism Studying Putinism as an Ideology What Is Putinisms Ideological Identity? What Is the Meaning of Putinism? Is There Popular Demand for Putinism? 2 Political Thinkers of the Past in the Service of Putinism Slavophiles Anti-mimetism in the Teaching of Slavophiles Populism in the Ideology of Slavophiles Ivan Ilin in Contemporary Russian Regime Ideology Ilin in Ideological Debates Today Ilins Worldview and the Regime Ideology Aleksandr Zinovev Zinovevs Social Theory Anti-Westernism and the Philosophy of War 3 Conservatism: Brief Engagement and Transformation of the Doctrine Debates on Ideology in Post-Soviet Russia Conservative Ideology in the 1990s Merging Academic Studies of Conservatism and Politics URP and the Regime Ideology in the 2000s Turn Away from Conservatism: After 2011/12 4 Ideological Forms of National Iterations Russian Nationalism or Nationalistic Discourses? Civilisationism Ideology of the Russian World Diaspora as a Political Problem: Dealing with Compatriots Conceptualisation of Diaspora Before 2014: The Russian World Project Pan-Slavism 5 Geo-political Ideologies Greater Eurasia: Large and Central Large space Thinking and Eurasian Projects Greater Eurasia: Re-centring Russia Isolationism in Geo-political Thinking Geo-political Justice 6 Religious Aspects of Putinism Ideology of the Russian Orthodox Church The Theory of Basic Values Justice and Orthodoxy Geo-political Dimension of the Basic Values Historical Unity and the ROC Russia My History Exhibition Messianism Low-cost Messianism in Putins Russia Discussions on Messianism: 1990smid-2000s Messianism: Expansionist to Isolationist Mainstream Messianic Politics: Mid-2000s to the Present 7 Conclusion