Public Diplomacy as a Tool of the Russian Soft Power Implementation
Abstract
Introduction. In this paper the public diplomacy of the Russian Federation is considered as one of the important tools of implementing modern Russian ideas and principles of soft power. We observe increased importance of implementing different activity directions within the public diplomacy in the conditions of the difficult international situation. Many of them are at the stage of formation. At the same time, a complex work in this direction can allow to strengthen public diplomacy positions as the effective tool implementation of Russian soft power. Methods. Comparative method allows matching the main specifics of public diplomacy activity and soft power implementation that let us concluding that public diplomacy is the soft power tool. Using this method was possible to establish that realization resources of public diplomacy and soft power are substantially identical. Analysis. The analysis of Russian public diplomacy activity and its clear relation with the main principles of the soft power which are implemented by the modern Russian government is based on search principle of such phenomena extinguishing features as the public diplomacy and soft power. It should be mentioned that many public diplomacy functions are coinciding with main tasks of soft power. The possibility for further public diplomacy institutionalization has been emphasized, and the specifics of unified direction of soft power and Russian diplomacy actions have been characterized. Results. In the result of the research it was revealed that public diplomacy is a direct tool of the soft power implementation. An attempt has been made to delimit the definitions of ‘society diplomacy’, ‘public diplomacy’ and ‘soft power’. Russian researchers’ approaches to public diplomacy understanding and its activity directions have been determined, the most realized directions have also been revealed. E. F. Parubochaya has revealed key differences in the definitions of ‘society diplomacy’ and ‘public diplomacy’, and determined main interlinks of Russian public diplomacy and soft power. N. V. Piskunov has marked basic displays of the modern Russian soft power.
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