Images of the West in the Russian Political Discourse and Strategy of Russia

Abstract

Objective. The main objective of this study is to analyze the images of the West in Russian political discourse and Russia’s strategy in relations with the West. This problem remains in the focus of attention not only of domestic scientists, but also of foreign researchers, including J.D. Bryan, B. Pudełko, Sh.W. Rivera, A. Segrillo. Conclusions. According to the results of the study, the presence of three main civilizational and geopolitical images of the West in domestic socio-political thought is ascertained. The first of these is the image of a civilizational leader, first formulated in the works of Westernizers of the 19th century. The second approach involves the recognition of the image of a unique, but not universal civilization - it is characteristic of one of the founders of the civilizational approach N.Y. Danilevsky. The image of the West as a civilization hostile to Russia was also formed, the ideological roots of which are the views of the Slavophiles. These images also predetermined various strategies in relation to the West: rapprochement, the formation of one’s own civilization and opposition to the West. In the politics of tsarist Russia, the image of the West as a whole was not formulated. In Soviet doctrine, the West was identified with the system of capitalism and was considered as a class adversary, peaceful coexistence with which was interpreted as a form of class struggle. The modern political doctrine reflects the contradictory image of the West as a partner and rival, the strategy of relations with which includes both cooperation and rivalry. Originality/value: In the work an attempt is made to compare the images of the West in Russian socio-political and official-state discourses.