Russian nationalism

[Daniel Rancour-Laferriere]

12 Jan 07

Dear Colleagues,

Andrey Shcherbenok wrote:

>I do not think that thinkers as different as Kliuchevsky and Dugin can fit
>under the same category of Russian nationalists -- except, of course, you
>define Russian nationalists as a group of people who say something good
>about Russia, even if for opposite reasons. I, however, do not see much
>analytical benefit of the category "nationalist" defined so widely. I did
>not read your article, though, so, maybe I misunderstand something.
>
>What I find most interesting, however, is that the discourse of people like
>Kliuchevsky is structurally very similar to that of many Polish or French or
>German or Serbian or Ukrainian or whatever authors, including Kundera, who
>would all position their respective countries as the outposts of European
>civilization bordering with the orientalized non-European (or at least
>not-quite-European) East. What particular culture qualifies as "East" is,
>therefore, purely relational -- as Sergey Glebov wrote, cultural boundaries
>is not an analytical concept but a concept of political practice. Depending
>of what factors you emphasize, they can be drawn pretty much wherever one
>pleases.
>

I would characterize Kliuchevsky as a professional historian rather than 
a nationalist.  For example, he was well informed about the several 
nuances of meaning to the term "Rus'," and he certainly understood the 
difference between "Rus'" and "Rossiia" - which his nationalistic 
predecessor Karamzin did not (as amply demonstrated by Richard Pipes).  
As for Dugin, he is a right-wing pseudo-scholar who spouts grandiose, 
racist ideas borrowed from the Nazis, and makes incomprehensible 
statements like: "The continental integration of Eurasia is connected 
with the eschatological motifs of Aryan gnosis."  There is just no 
comparison with Kliuchevsky.

I agree that the term "East" is utilized differently by different 
authors, and that it is "relational."  That's pretty obvious.  It is 
"relational" even within the orbit of Russian nationalism, which is to 
say that Russian nationalists have a difficult time deciding whether 
Russia is East or West, Asia or Europe, etc.  They have an identity 
problem, as is so often the case with nationalists who have been studied 
by psychologists.  But I treat all that in great detail in my book (NOT 
"article"), which is available in both English and Russian.  No need to 
burden this list with things already said in books.

And why did Russian nationalism come up?  - Because that is what (in 
part) was bothering Kundera.  He has a "Russophobic peeve," as David 
Powelstock puts it.  Or, as Alexandra Smith writes, Kundera, in part,

> fashions himself in the clothes of  anti-Solzhenitsyn

And can you blame him?

Regards to the list,

Daniel Rancour-Laferriere
Emeritus Professor of Russian
University of California, Davis

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