The weakness of Russian nationalism

Abstract

The non-appearance of mass nationalist mobilisation among Russians - especially in the 'Russian diaspora' - has played a critical role in limiting the spread of ethnic conflict in the 1990s. This failure of Russians to mobilise along ethno-national lines forms a striking contrast with many of the stereotypes of Russian nationalism advanced by Western commentators. The failure stems from two main factors: the absence of civil and social institutions capable of acting as the basis for mass mobilisation; and the fact that, historically, Russian nationalism was subsumed by two multinational empires based not on ethnicity but on ideology. Russian nationalism now cannot easily be recast in ethno-national terms. The legacy of 'Soviet internationalism' thus continues to play a positive role in Russia and among its neighbours.