Дискурс Пи (Jul 2022)
Civilization discourse in the statements of Vladimir Putin
Abstract
The aim of the article is to trace the evolution of Vladimir Putin's views on the civilizational essence of Russia. Content analysis, cognitive mapping, and the problem-chronological method are used as the methodological basis of the study. The primary sources are the Presidential addresses to the Federal Assembly, Putin's speeches at international and domestic events, his program articles in the press, speeches and interviews on television. Three main periods reflecting changes in the representation of the theme of the Russian civilizational essence are identified. At the first stage (1999-2006), the understanding of the state as a part of the global and European civilization prevailed, which seemed consonant with the statements about the joint fight against international terrorism in that period. The second stage began with the 2007 Munich speech and ended with the rupture of relations with the West in 2014 after the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation, when it was claimed for the first time a specific state-civilization. The third stage, which began in 2015, is characterized by the predominance of statements about the tough confrontation between Russia and Western civilization in the perception of traditional values and interpretation of the history of the Second World War. It is concluded that changes in Putin's views, on the one hand, are associated with an increase in conflict potential in the international arena, and on the other hand, they were often ahead of his political decisions. This indicates the possibility of predicting the development of the most important political processes based on the analysis of statements that reflect the position of state leaders.
Keywords
