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The article evaluates changes to Central Asian studies and research on the population and territory of former Soviet republics such as Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Emphasis is given to the marginalization of Central Asian studies in Soviet scholarship, the status of historiography in post-Soviet Russia, and developments in the field of Slavic studies.

Several novels by contemporary author Liudmila Ulitskaia sympathize with oppressed Muslims (whether Crimean Tatars or Palestinians), yet her nonfiction attacks radical Islam as unthinking and brutal. Such a critique links Islamic extremists to intolerance, ignorance, and violence; these three traits are anathema to the intelligenty who dominate her writing. What results is a paradoxical image of victimized Muslims and their aggressive religion. This scenario is shaped by the intelligentsia's belief that literature can resolve society's crises, an assumption conceptualizing conflicts between Russia and Islam in alarmist terms inherited from the Soviet experience. Ulitskaia's portrayal of Muslims and their faith likewise unwittingly draws on Orientalist misconceptions and the increasing xenophobia of the Putin and Medvedev years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses ideology in Russian intellectual life during its postcommunist period from 1991 through the early 2010s, often referencing the communist Soviet Union and Russian civilization during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Particular focus is given to the Russian attitude towards Western civilization, including in regard to the West's cultural influence on Russia and Russian nationalism. An overview of the Russian President Vladimir Putin's perspective on Western civilization, Russian history and the Russian Orthodox Church is provided.

The article discusses the contributions of Russian historians to international historiography and the reception of these contributions in the international scholarly community. Focusing on developments since the end of the Soviet Union, the author compares the political, social, and economic circumstances of historical research in Russia to those of other countries such as Poland. Aspects addressed include the applicability of the concept of cultural transfer to academia, the history of historiography in the Soviet Union and the long-term effects of the relationship of historiography to Soviet communism, and a citation analysis of publications by Russian historians in foreign periodicals.

The article concentrates attention on the development trends of Russian Sinology in the sphere of culture and education during the 1990s. The author assesses the new challenges and tasks facing Sinologists in Russia, reveals the main fields of investigation in philology, linguistics, theater, cinema, fine art and the system of education in China, analyzes academic and other problems, and notes the emergence of new concepts in the theoretical basis of the studies of Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the main development trends in the study of Chinese philosophy and religion in Russia in the 1990s. Among the major trends mention should be made of the creation of encyclopedic reference publications, the study of the influence of Chinese philosophy on the formation of the image of Chinese civilization, investigation of the modem role of Confucianism, and revelation of the specific features of the theoretical and methodological foundations of traditional Chinese thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication of two large anthologies of Russian twentieth-century poetry in the 1990s sparked lively critical discussions, particularly about the place of 'official' Soviet poetry in the literary canon. This article considers the extent to which these anthologies may be seen as attempts to revise the canon, and what their reception can tell us about attitudes in the early post-Soviet period about attitudes towards the canon, who determines its composition, and how the canon relates to questions of Russian national identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of representative strategies in twentieth-century Russian culture. Just as Russia interacted with Europe in the Marquis de Custine's time via discourse and representation, in the twentieth century Russia re-entered European consciousness by simulating 'socialism'. In the post-Soviet era, the nation aspired to be admitted to the 'European house' by simulating a 'market economy', 'democracy', and 'postmodernism'. But in reality Russia remains the same country as before, torn between the reality of its own helplessness and poverty, and the messianic myth of its own greatness. Post-Soviet culture is a product of Stalinist culture. 'Russian postmodernism' was created less by artists, writers, poets, and film makers, than by theorists and critics. At the beginning of the 1990s, a need to describe contemporary Russian culture emerged. In this way, 'Russian postmodernism' arose from the desire to 'sell' projects in the West-from the simple obligation to describe socialist experience in concrete, transferable terms that Westerners could grasp. The nostalgia experienced by the post-Soviet era creates its own simulated postmodernism, in which the matrices of the construction and functioning of culture cease to be connected with specifically Russian (Soviet) history, and instead reproduce Western models almost exactly. We are facing yet another attempt at radical cultural modernization. If the first attempt (revolutionary culture) was the most original and fruitful, and the second (Stalinist culture, Socialist Realism) was less productive but still original, then the third, post-Soviet, attempt (rich in individuality, but lacking in original ideas or style) is for the moment the least productive and original. If we exclude sots-art (conceptualism) from 'Russian postmodernism', there would be nothing left. Clearly, an original cultural model in post-Soviet Russia will not take shape until original strategies for processing the country's cultural past are developed. In their turn, these strategies can only result from a radical transformation of post-Soviet identity into a new, genuinely Russian one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a logic of distinction and succession within the late-twentieth-century Leningrad-St. Petersburg cultural field, whereby consecutive intelligentsia mainstreams were replaced by their avant-garde peripheries. In this dynamic picture of socio-cultural transformations, I propose a working hypothesis of a repeated stratification of the field into an 'official', an 'unofficial', and a third 'non-aligned' intelligentsia. This hypothesis is tested in reference to the 'non-aligned' groups founded by the avant-garde artist and ideologue Timur Novikov (1958-2002). Three major shifts are described: from the politicized late-Brezhnevite early 1980s to the apolitical radicalism of Novikov's New Artists; from this anarchistic underground, through the perestroika era, to the playful 'classicism' of the New Academy of Fine Arts in the 1990s; and from this postmodern international orientation to an arch-reactionary, neo-imperial posturing at the turn of the 2000s. Lastly, this 'non-aligned' intelligentsia is suggested as a possible precedent, or, indeed, a model for understanding other historically significant avant-garde peripheries, which commonly seek to distinguish themselves from (often mutually-exclusive) centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay analyzes the recent appearance in Russian letters of ultra-nationalist fantasies about the restoration of Russia's imperial or totalitarian status. This new trend has its roots not only in the increasingly patriotic tone of Russian society and politics, but also in the dynamics of the literary field itself. 'Imperialist writers' such as Aleksandr Prokhanov and Pavel Krusanov have both revived and reacted against postmodern themes and motifs from earlier decades. Relying on the legacy of sots-art and stiob, the 'imperialists' advance a new model in Russia's postmodern tradition, one that is balanced on the very borderline between irony and ideological militancy. In playing the game of ambiguous fanaticism, these writers have been able to attract the attention of a broad and diverse public, and have moved from an intellectual periphery into the cultural mainstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the popular response to Soviet myths in the post-Soviet period through the lens of the complicated treatment of Zoia Kosmodem'ianskaia. As arguably the most famous Soviet World War II martyr, Kosmodem'ianskaia's image splintered after glasnost' and has been located at the nexus of debate in various media since 1991. This paper poses questions about the fracturing of national memory when a nation has undergone upheaval: about the stability of heroes, about citizens' responses to them, and about heroes' transformation in the new regime. Catriona Kelly has demonstrated that the treatment of a national hero can illuminate the circumstances that produced the hero and the cultural climate of subsequent decades. Building on her work, this article asks "Why and how has the image of Kosmodem'ianskaia remained relevant while other Soviet heroes have been neglected since 1991?" This article posits that Kosmodem'ianskaia's continued significance lies above all in the flexibility of her image and the transitional aspects of her body. Her depictions in various contexts represent prominent responses to the authoritarian regime which gave birth to both Kosmodem'ianskaia and her legacy. The variety of her images demonstrates the continued relevance of this figure two decades after the collapse of the USSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's return to Russia in 1994, twenty years after his exile from the Soviet Union, was regarded by many as one of the most symbolic events of the immediate post-Cold War era. Arguably the most famous dissident of the Soviet period was returning to his native land, where communism had at last disintegrated and given way to a transitional-democratic regime. However, despite receiving a prophet's welcome upon his arrival, Solzhenitsyn showed nothing but contempt for the Russian government's efforts to stabilize the country amid economic and political turmoil. Within eighteen months, Solzhenitsyn had squandered any moral sway he might have held, and had been reduced to an out-of-touch curmudgeon and object of satire amid the Russian populace. Ten years later, however, Solzhenitsyn's name and works had been given a new relevance and popular appeal, in light of a government-led effort to restructure his persona for a new generation of citizens. The long-term process through which the Russian government has accomplished this is the focus of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kantian Utopia in Russia: Erikh Solov'ëv. The article deals with Erikh Solov'ëv (b. 1934), a historian of philosophy who is one of the best Soviet and post-Soviet exponents of Kant. In several of his works and articles, published in the 1990s, Solov'ëv has attempted to apply the ideas of Kant's social philosophy to post-Soviet realities. Kant is important above all as a theoretician of a free subjectivity, human rights, and a critic of paternalism in social life. Several Kantian motives came to the fore during the perestrojka when the Marxist 'class approach' was abandoned and 'all-human' values (obščečelovečeskie tsennosti) entered into the discussion. Later, Solov'ëv attempted to develop Kantian guidelines for a post-Soviet society, including moral norms for businessmen in the new Russia, but these attempts bore the distinct hallmark of social utopianism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Such issues as the imperial theory, the history of Russian Empire and its destiny have been under discussion in Russian ideological circle since 1991. These discussions, concerning both academic and political-ideological problems, deeply mirror the crises of ideology and of social politics that Russia is faced with at present, and records the course of exploration for national development by the ideological circle in Russia. Imperialism, as an alternative plan to "national thoughts" (national ideology) in Russia, cannot be put into effect, but these discussions still have positive significance, both academically and realistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an examination into trends regarding the study of American history in Russia since the end of the Cold War. Discussion is offered concerning ways in which the cross-cultural academic relations between the two nations have grown significantly, citing the expansion of university programs offering American studies, the increased access of U.S. primary and secondary resources through the Internet and translation, and the use of foreign exchange programs by teachers and students alike. Comments remarking on existing tensions and difficulties between the two nations are also included.

The article discusses the history of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The author reflects on the establishment of the institute and research conducted in order to support Marxist-Leninist philosophy during the era of dictator Josef Stalin. The rise of research groups dedicated to psychology and sociology is noted. Post-Soviet changes are presented to include growth in the creative activity and productivity of philosophers, diversity of research, and the elimination of ideological gaps in philosophical investigations.

A roundtable discussion is presented on the topic of literary journals in Russia and changes in readership, content, and journal culture since the 1990s. Participating authors include Marina Abasheva, Marina Adamovich, and Nikolai Bogomolov. Other topics include the role of the Internet, financial support, and ideological homogeneity.

The article discusses the historiography of Russian conservatism in post-Soviet Russia, including the work of post-Soviet Russian conservatives themselves. Works by numerous contemporary scholars are mentioned, including Aleksei Mikhailovich Rutkevich, Eduard Abelinskas, Aleksandr Vital’evich Repnikov, and many others. Methodological issues such as the periodization of the history of Russian conservatism are also discussed, as are trends in the utilization of conservatism and conservative ideology in contemporary Russian political discourse.

The article reviews the historiography in Russia on Russian conservatism, identifying major trends as well as areas for future research. Scholarship conducted in the Soviet Union on conservatism in imperial Russia is reviewed, as is the increasing popularity of conservatism as a topic of study as well as political discourse in the post-Soviet era. Some noteworthy scholars and their works are mentioned, as are trends in the republication of works by prerevolutionary Russian conservatives. Centers for the study of conservatism launched at Russian universities are also discussed.

The article discusses dystopian themes in Russian fiction since 2005, driven by cultural pessimism about the state of society in post-Soviet Russia. Novels and authors discussed include "The Evacuator" ("Evakuator") and "ZhD" by Dmitrii Bykov, "2008" by Sergei Dorenko, "2017" by Ol’ga Slavnikova, and "Day of the Oprichnik" ("Den’ oprichnika") by Vladimir Sorokin. Topics discussed include political satire and other stylistic elements in the Russian literature mentioned, and popular attitudes about the government of Vladimir Putin.

The article analyzes the history, function, and evolution of research universities in Russia in the post-communist era. The author provides incite into the structure and incentives in Russian universities based on his work as an administrator and educator at the New Economic School in Russia and as the director of the school's Outreach Program. The Soviet tradition of keeping teaching and research separate in research institution is compared to the deregulation and commercialization of the higher education system in the post-soviet era. The challenge of reforming existing research universities is examined. The need for modern research universities to further economic growth in knowledge-based industries in Russia is discussed.

The article analyses how imperial memory is presented in textbooks addressed to the secondary schools of the Russian Federation. During the last decade our Eastern neighbour tends to actualize the issues dealing with the heritage of the Tsarist and Soviet empire as well as pro-imperial discourse. The textbook "History of Western Russia" was chosen for the reason that it reflects history teaching tendencies in general and contemporary history teaching in particular in Russia. The article reviews the usage and explanation of the concept "Western Russia" in the context of the theory of "western borderlands of the empire". Basically, Russia's imperial experience is estimated positively; moreover, the issue of the empire's past remains a politically sensitive question today. Therefore, this textbook, in fact, is a collection of methodological, or even ideological, patterns which is adapted to the above mentioned issues and which is extensively applied to the process of history teaching; it could be even stated that it is supplemented by the postulates of the tsarist historiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the statements of contemporary Russian Old Believer elites on political, foreign policy, inter-confessional relations, economic and ideological issues to make two types of comparisons. First, the juxtaposition of contemporary Old Believer public discourse against reported pre-revolutionary Old Believer value orientations reveals an intriguing historical discontinuity. Contrary to the literature and my initial hypothesis, the collected data show consistent patterns of anti-market, anti-democratic, illiberal, intolerant and anti-Western attitudes common to all concords analysed in this study. Next, the analysis demonstrates a remarkable similarity between social and political preferences of modern Old Believer and Russian Orthodox authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the positioning of Gertrude Stein's works in contemporary post-Soviet Russia. Drastic need for new types of languages and new forms of literature; Attractive components of Stein's experimental writing; Re-creation of the English language; Inner necessity and qualitative effect of repetition, which is Stein's favorite device.

The article presents the authors analysis regarding the influences of American Consumerism in Russia. He stated that American marketing logos are the common currency of conspicuous consumption in the place. The new Russian customers patronizes American products and it has influenced in the reshaping of Russian society. He noted that instead of establishing collective bonds and democratic responsibilities by the U.S., it exports images of private gain and material satisfaction. He concluded that the U.S. may succeed in partaking a prophetic role in shaping the Russia, eventually it would find itself not happy with the results.