Organizational Forms and Ideological Contradictions of Modern Russian Nationalism: Classification Issues

Abstract

The issue of classifying the numerous and ideologically diverse branches of Russian nationalism in modern Russia remains unresolved, which complicates both the academic study of the phenomenon and its correct public perception. Existing approaches, whether based on binary divisions (civic vs ethnic nationalism) or derived from value-based frameworks, have either been formulated for the purposes of individual studies, or represented unnecessarily cumbersome constructions. The aim of this article is to characterize the key existing approaches to classifying various trends of Russian nationalism in post-Soviet Russia. The research is grounded in historical-genetic and evolutionary methods, which have made it possible to trace the development of classification schemes in Russian and international historiography (drawing on the works of H. Kohn, L. Greenfeld, V.A. Tishkov, E.A. Pain, A.M. Verkhovsky, V.S. Malakhov, M. Laruelle, and others). The study identifies the principal shortcomings of existing classifications: the value-laden nature of the “good/bad” nationalism binary, the insufficient consideration of the specific features of Russian nationalism when applying general approaches to classifying nationalism as a whole, and the limited effectiveness of using any of the examined approaches in isolation. The research proposes a synthetic model that combines V.S. Malakhov’s value-based classification (“whites/ reds/browns” supplemented by the category of “national democrats”) with the “ethnic/imperial nationalism” binary scheme as interpreted by M.O. Komin² and E.D. Ponarin. A potential application of the proposed model is demonstrated through the construction of dynamic tables showing the distribution of nationalist organizations across three time periods (the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). The proposed model not only captures the value orientations of organizations but also accounts for their views on territorial issues and their stance towards the state. This approach provides a foundation for further empirical research into the dynamics of the nationalist spectrum and can be utilized in subsequent applied studies.