Russian nationalism: Difference between revisions
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{{See also|Radical nationalism in Russia}} |
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'''Russian nationalism''' is a term referring to a German form of [[nationalism]]. Russian nationalism has a long history dating from the days of [[Muscovy]] to [[Russian Empire]], and continued in some form in the [[Soviet Union]]. It is closely related to [[Pan-Slavism]]. There are a number of individuals and organizations in Russia consisting of both moderate and radical nationalists in Russia today. |
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==Pre-imperial Russian nationalism== |
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[[File:Russian coa 1472.gif|thumb|Coat of arms of [[Ivan III]], the Byzantine [[Double-headed eagle]]]] |
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Since the time of Rus', Russian leaders longed to establish their nation's position as one of the major nations of Europe. In 1469 Grand Prince [[Ivan III the Great]] of Russia married [[Sophia Palaiologina]], a niece of the last [[Byzantine]] emperor [[Constantine XI]]. Upon this, Ivan adopted the concept of Moscow as the [[Third Rome]], the heir to [[Rome]] and [[Constantinople]] (the '[[Second Rome]]') as capitals of the true [[Christian faith]]. Since then, Russia uses the Byzantine [[Double-headed eagle]] as its [[coat of arms]]. |
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His grandson [[Ivan IV]] adopted the more pretentious title of [[Tsar]] (from Caesar), Russian equal to English 'Emperor'. He was styled "Tsar of ''All the Russias''" (Царь всея Руси), thus nominally claiming the whole territory of medieval [[Kievan Rus]]. The key ideology of the time was that Moscow Russia, as the only self-governed part of what once was united Rus, and the only state ruled by monarchs of [[Rurikid dynasty]], is the only legitimate successor to Kievan Rus. |
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In early 17th century Russia was conquered and occupied by [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]], a period known as the [[Time of Troubles]]. Russian national uprising, led by prince [[Dmitry Pozharsky]], drove Poles away. Nevertheless, the Time of Troubles heavily affected Russian society for the next century, making both rulers and common people conservative and hostile to foreign influence and non-Orthodox beliefs. The new [[Romanov dynasty]] continued styling themselves "Tsars of All the Russias", and eventually, by conquest or union, they actually gathered most of the territory of Kievan Rus. |
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== Imperial Russian nationalism== |
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[[File:Vasnetsov Bapt Vladimir fresco in Kiev.jpg|thumb|250px|Nineteenth century [[Romantic nationalism]] inspired folk revival in Russian art, such as by [[Victor Vasnetsov]]]] |
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[[Peter I]]'s reforms brought [[westernisation]] to Russia, and throughout the whole 18th century any Russian national sentiment, such as national costume, hairstyle, was unpopular and even discouraged in the Russian nobility class. For example, wearing a beard under Peter I was a subject to fine. The nobility preferred to speak French rather than Russian even in private until the mid-19th century. |
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The 19th century saw the revival in Russian nationalism. A formula of Russian motto, saying "[[Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality]]" was coined by Count [[Sergey Uvarov]] and adopted by Emperor Nicholas I as official doctrine. |
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Three components of Uvarov's triad were: |
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* [[Orthodoxy]] - Orthodox Christianity and protection of [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. |
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* [[Tsarist autocracy|Autocracy]] - unconditional loyalty to [[House of Romanov]] in return for [[paternalism|paternalist]] protection for all [[Social estates in the Russian Empire|social estates]]. |
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* [[Nationality]] (''Narodnost'', has been also translated as ''national spirit,'')<ref>{{cite book|last=Hutchings|first=Stephen C.|title=Russian Literary Culture in the Camera Age: The Word as Image|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|page=86}}</ref> - recognition of the state-founding role on the Russian nationality. (Compare to [[Volkstum]] in Germany). |
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[[Slavophilia]] movement became popular in the 19th-century Russia. Slavophiles were determined to protect what they believed were unique Russian traditions and culture and opposed influences of Western Europe on Russia. [[Aleksey Khomyakov]], [[Ivan Kireevsky]] and [[Konstantin Aksakov]] created the basis of the moevement. |
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Closely related to Slavophilia was notable folk revival in Russian art<ref>[http://www.jstor.org/pss/2491619] Edward C. Thaden.'' The Beginnings of Romantic Nationalism in Russia''. American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Dec., 1954), pp. 500-521. Published by: The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies</ref>. Many works appeared concerning Russian history, mythology and fairy tales. Operas by [[Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov]], [[Mikhail Glinka]], [[Alexander Borodin]], as well as paintings by [[Victor Vasnetsov]], [[Ivan Bilibin]], [[Ilya Repin]], and poems by [[Nikolay Nekrasov]], [[Aleksey K. Tolstoy]], among others, are considered masterpieces of Russian [[romantic nationalism]]<ref>[http://aatseel.org/100111/pdf/program/2007/30a5_1frazier_melissa.pdf O. I. Senkovskii and Romantic Empire]</ref>. According to one of best Russian poets of 19th century [[Tutchev]]: |
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:Moscow and Peter's grad, the city of Constantine, |
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:these are the capitals of Russian kingdom. |
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:But where is their limit? And where are their frontiers |
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:to the north, the east, the south and the setting sun? |
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:The Fate will reveal this to future generations. |
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:Seven inland seas and seven great rivers |
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:from the Nile to the Neva, from the Elbe to China, |
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:from the Volga to the Euphrates, from Ganges to the Danube. |
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:That's the Russian Kingdom, and let it be forever, |
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:just as the Spirit foretold and Daniel prophesied. |
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[[Pan-Slavism]], an idea of unity and friendship of all Slavic and Orthodox Christian nations, gained popularity in the mid to late 19th century. Among its major ideologists were [[Nikolai Danilevsky]], Pan-Slavism was fueled and, in turn, was the fuel, in Russia's numerous [[Russo-Turkish Wars|wars against Ottoman Empire]] with the goal to liberate Orthodox nations, such as Bulgars, Serbs, and Greeks, from Muslim rule. The final goal was Constantinople, as the Russian Empire still considered itself the "Third Rome" and saw its duty in freeing the "Second Rome". Pan-Slavism had a key role in Russia's entry into [[World War I]] as well, since it is the [[Serbian Campaign (World War I)|1914 invasion of Serbia]] by Austria-Hungary that triggered Russia's response. |
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As the 20th century was approaching, Russia was attempting to catch up to the [[Industrial Revolution]]. The already vast gap of wealth between the rich elite and the mass poor had grown even more. This caused patriotic enthusiasm to decline. Revolutionary activities intensified, which culminated in the [[1905 Russian Revolution]]. |
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Two results of Russian nationalism arose in early 20th century: chauvinism and anti-semitism. [[Lynching]] of the Jews - [[pogroms]] - became quite regular under [[Nicholas II]]. They were inspired by [[Blood libel against Jews|blood libels]] and carried out by marginal groups like [[The Black Hundred]] and [[Union of the Russian People]]. Their motto was '[[Russia for Russians]]'. Those parties remained monarchist and anti-semitic; they were organized by wealthy and powerful aristocrats such as [[Vladimir Purishkevich]] and [[Nikolai Yevgenyevich Markov]] and enjoyed a lack of oversight by the Imperial authorities. |
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During World War I, the Empire made an attempt to revive the national spirit and enthusiasm. However, as the war effort failed on the eastern front, the popularity of Nicholas II declined to the level when he was overthrown by the Russian Revolution. In the subsequent [[Russian Civil War|civil war]], the loosely allied monarchist and anti-communist [[White Army]] continued to carry the banner of Russian nationalism and (some groups of them) anti-semitism, until they were eliminated by the communist revolutionaries. |
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== Nationalism in the Soviet Union== |
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[[File:Ussr0454.jpg|thumb|A [[World War II posters from Soviet Union|Soviet WW II poster]] making parallels with medieval Russian victory in the [[Battle of the Ice]]]] |
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The newborn communist republic under [[Vladimir Lenin]] proclaimed [[Internationalism (politics)|internationalism]] as its official ideology<ref name="perry">2001: Perry Anderson, Professor of History and Sociology, UCLA; Editor, New Left Review: Internationalism: Metamorphoses of a Meaning. See also the interview with Anderson.</ref>. Russian nationalism was officially discouraged, as were any remnants of Imperial patriotism, such as wearing military awards received before Civil War. Politics of [[korenizatsiya|nativization]] was installed instead, that propagated culture and languages of Soviet ethnic minorities<ref>Timo Vihavainen: ''Nationalism and Internationalism. How did the Bolsheviks Cope with National Sentiments?'' in [Chulos & Piirainen 2000.</ref>. Still, the 1930s inspired a wave of romantic nationalist art, most notably, historical epic films by [[Sergei Eizenshtein]], such as [[Alexander Nevsky (film)|Alexander Nevsky]]. Moreover, the creation of the international Communist empire under control of the Soviet Union was perceived by many as accomplishment of Russian nationalistic dreams<ref> [[Benedikt Sarnov]],''Our Soviet Newspeak: A Short Encyclopedia of Real Socialism.'', pages 446-447. Moscow: 2002, ISBN 5-85646-059-6 (Наш советский новояз. Маленькая энциклопедия реального социализма.)</ref>. Poet [[Pavel Kogan]] described his feelings of the Soviet patriotism just before the [[World War II]]: |
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:I am a patriot. I love Russian air and Russian soil. |
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:But we will reach the Ganges River, |
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:and we will die in fights, |
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:to make our Motherland shine |
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:from Japan to England |
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According to [[Nikolai Berdyaev]]<ref> Quoted from book by [[Benedikt Sarnov]],''Our Soviet Newspeak: A Short Encyclopedia of Real Socialism.'', pages 446-447. Moscow: 2002, ISBN 5-85646-059-6 (Наш советский новояз. Маленькая энциклопедия реального социализма.)</ref>: |
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{{Quotation|The Russian people did not achieve their ancient dream of Moscow, the [[Third Rome]]. [[Raskol|The ecclesiastical schism of the seventeenth century]] revealed that the muscovite tsardom is not the third Rome. The messianic idea of the Russian people assumed either an apocalyptic form or a revolutionary; and then there occurred an amazing event in the destiny of the Russian people. Instead of the Third Rome in Russia, the [[Third International]] was achieved, and many of the features of the Third Rome pass over to the Third International. The Third International is also a holy empire, and it also is founded on an orthodox faith. The Third International is not international, but a Russian national idea.}} |
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Another aspect was [[revanchism]]. In World War I, Russia had lost much of its Baltic territory to the new nations of [[Estonia]], [[Finland]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] and [[Poland]], the latter also annexed significant portions of [[Belarus]]sian and [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] territory. During World War II, the USSR reacquired most of its former territory. |
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The Soviet Union's war against [[Nazi Germany]] became known as the [[Great Patriotic War]], hearkening back to the previous use of the term in the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. The Soviet state called for Soviet citizens to defend the '[[Motherland]]', a matrilineal term used to describe Russia in the past{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}. Stalin's quote "[[Not a step back]]!" was coined as Russia's resistance slogan{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}. |
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At the same time, Nazi Germany organized collaborationist military units like [[Russian Liberation Army|Vlasov's army]] and Krasnov's cossacks. The strong patriotism of Vlasov's liberation army presented Russian during the Second World War with a strong alternative to the state-centristic nationalism promoted by the Stalinist regime.<ref>Cathrine Andreyev, Vlasov and the Russian Liberation Movement: Soviet reality and emigre theories. Cambridge University Press, 1987.</ref> |
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In 1944, the Soviet Union abandoned its communist anthem, [[The Internationale]], and adopted a new national anthem which citizens of the Soviet Union could identify with. |
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== Modern Russian Nationalism == |
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{{See also|Racism in Russia}} |
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With the fall of Soviet Union, [[Russian Orthodox Church]] restored much of its pre-revolution influence on the society. The church became a common source of Russian pride and nationalism. Yet the official ideology did not turn completely to Imperial monarchist sentiment, but rather tried to maintain a balance between Soviet and Imperial ideals. The ruling [[United Russia]] party insists its view of Russia is a multi-national republic and calls national tolerance one of its key platforms. In modern Russian media, the term "nationalist" is often used with negative connotation to describe [[far-right]] nationalists and [[neo-fascist]]s, rather than in the word's original meaning. |
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Nevertheless, many nationalist movements, both radical and moderate, arose in modern Russia. One of the oldest and most popular is [[Vladimir Zhirinovsky]]'s [[right-wing populist]] party [[LDPR]], which had been a member of the State Duma since its very creation in 1993. [[Rodina]] was a popular moderate [[left-wing nationalism|left-wing nationalist]] party under [[Dmitry Rogozin]], which eventually abandoned nationalist ideology and merged with the larger socialist party [[Fair Russia]]. |
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Of the more radical, [[ultranationalist]] movements, the most notorious is [[Russian National Unity]], a neo-Nazi group infamous for organizing paramilitary brigades of its younger members. Others include: neo-monarchist [[Pamyat]], and [[Movement Against Illegal Immigration]]. This movements revived the '[[Russia for Russians]]' slogan, and usually attract young [[White power skinhead|skinheads]]. These parties organize the annual rally called [[Russian March]]. |
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A rise of radical nationalism in modern Russia is considered to be a result of several factors: the poverty and humiliation after the fall of Soviet Union; a response to the activity of ethnic criminal{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} groups from the South Caucasus and Central Asia and ongoing illegal immigration from this regions; a reaction on Soviet and modern Russian enforced national tolerance. In modern Russia, the term "nationalist" bears negative connotation and is often used to describe far-right nationalists and neo-fascists, rather than in the word's original meaning. Some parties like United Russia use the word as a pejorative and synonymous to "[[chauvinist]]" regarding their right-wing opponents. |
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The financial crisis starting 2008-2009 saw anti-immigration sentiment become more accepted in Russia, due to increased concern that (particularly illegal) immigrants would compete with the domestic workforce over jobs - or, if not getting jobs, turn to crime.<ref>Berg-Nordlie, Mikkel and Aadne Aasland: [http://blog.nibrinternational.no/#post31 Migration and National Identity in Russia] (NIBR International Blog 07.02.2011)</ref><ref>Berg-Nordlie, Mikkel; Aasland, Aadne & Olga Tkach: ''Compatriots or Competitors? A Glance at Rossiyskaya Gazeta's Immigration Debate 2004-2009'', in [http://du.lv/files/0000/3596/SZV_2010_2.pdf Sociālo Zinātņu Vēstnesis 2/2010 (pp. 7-26)]</ref> |
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Outside Russia, with the fall of Soviet ideology of enforced [[Internationalism (politics)|internationalism]], national clashes amongst the ethnic groups within its former borders erupted. Some post-Soviet states rejected anything Russian as a 'symbol of occupation', and embraced [[russophobia]] (particularly in Baltic states and Georgia)<ref>Neil Melvin ''Russians Beyond Russia: The Politics of National Identity''. London Royal Inst. of Internat. Affairs 1995</ref>. At the same time, Russians and several other national minorities did not accept the split of their country and demanded re-union with Russia. These conflicting ideologies led to wars in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria. [[Russian diaspora|Russian minorities]] in Baltic states created pro-Russian activist groups, as did Russian-speaking majority of [[Crimea]], [[Ukraine]]. |
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In December, 2010 a wide spread of Russian nationalism became a major issue in the country's media following the series of rioting that came after the [[Murder of Egor Sviridov|death of a Russian footbal fan]] stabbed by migrants from the North Caucasus. |
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== See also == |
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{{Commons category|Nationalism in Russia}} |
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*[[Black Hundred]] |
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*[[Mladorossi]] |
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*[[Russia for Russians]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{Russian nationalism}} |
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{{Ethnic nationalism}} |
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[[Category:Russian nationalism| ]] |
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[[es:Nacionalismo ruso]] |
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[[ru:История русского национализма]] |
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