G5 Doctoral dissertation (article)
Development of contemporary Russian cultural policy : from liberal decentralisation towards conservative hegemony (2024)
Nyky-Venäjän kulttuuripolitiikan kehitys: liberaalista hajautuksesta kohti konservatiivista hegemoniaa


Romashko, T. (2024). Development of contemporary Russian cultural policy : from liberal decentralisation towards conservative hegemony [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Jyväskylä. JYU Dissertations, 792. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-86-0184-5


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editors: Romashko, Tatiana

eISBN: 978-952-86-0184-5

Journal or series: JYU Dissertations

eISSN: 2489-9003

Publication year: 2024

Number in series: 792

Number of pages in the book: 1 verkkoaineisto (166 sivua, 82 sivua useina numerointijaksoina, 22 numeroimatonta sivua)

Publisher: University of Jyväskylä

Place of Publication: Jyväskylä

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-86-0184-5

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel


Abstract

Through an analysis of official and academic discourses, this dissertation explores the transformation of Russian cultural policy from a period of liberal decentralisation in post-Soviet Russia to the conservative state under Vladimir Putin’s rule, focusing on the post-2012 period. This era is characterised by a shift towards cultural centralisation, increased state censorship and the promotion of conservative values. Mainstream Russian academia typically justifies these changes as natural responses to perceived geopolitical threats or necessary reactions to Western oppression. Challenging these ideological positions, this study contextualises the post-2012 cultural policy shifts within the broader political changes under the leadership of Putin. In doing so, it treats cultural policy as a political and contingent process and questions the reasons and implications of the conservative turn in Russian state cultural policy.
The research builds on the theoretical frameworks of political science, cultural studies and cultural policy studies to critically analyse the formation of the conservative discourse in Russia. It employs Gramsci’s theory of hegemony to explain how Putin’s regime has established and maintained cultural dominance through coercion and consent. Additionally, Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and sovereignty are used to examine the interplay between Putin’s political objectives, popular demands and cultural policies. These approaches show how hegemonic cultural narratives foster consensus around national identity and create a transcendental link between the ‘Russian people’ and President Putin, which articulates public perceptions and behaviour.
The thesis posits that the post-2012 transformation of Russian cultural policy is a strategic manoeuvre by the ruling elite to harness cultural mechanisms for broader political and ideological purposes, thereby shaping public consciousness and strengthening presidential authority. Putin’s regime has fostered an intellectual leadership that promotes a conservative vision of the ‘Russian world’ and suppresses cultural diversity. This imposes state control over cultural production and the cultural economy, thereby contributing to the further consolidation of Putin’s political power.


Keywords: cultural policy; state ownership steering; conservatism; hegemony; post-structuralism; sovereignty; doctoral dissertations

Free keywords: Russia; politics of culture; Putin’s conservative project; governmentality


Contributing organizations


Related projects


Ministry reporting: Yes


Last updated on 2024-21-05 at 15:59