Fortress Russia, Conspiracy Theories in Post-Soviet Russia by Yablokov, Ilya -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Copyright Acknowledgements Introduction

Conceptual Framework Structure of the Book Notes

1 Building ‘Fortress Russia’

The Imperial Period The Soviet Period

2 The Spectres of Conspiracy Mythmaking

Gleb Pavlovskii: Conspiracy Theories as a Political Technology Aleksandr Dugin: The Eternal War of the Continents Nataliia Narochnitskaia: Orthodox Russia vs. the Spiritless West Maksim Shevchenko: The Battle Against Western Neo-Liberalism Conclusion Notes

3 In Search of the ‘Agents of Perestroika’

Language of the Intelligence Services ‘Westernized’ Intelligentsia Against Motherland The Manipulation of Consciousness 1917–1991: Nikolai Starikov’s Interpretation of the Soviet Collapse Mikhail Gorbachev as a Favourite Scapegoat Forgeries as Main Argument Competing Interpretations of the August Coup Yeltsin’s Impeachment (1998–1999) The Narratives of the Soviet Collapse in Putin’s Russia Conclusion

4 Sovereign Democracy and its Enemies

Theorizing the New Russian Identity The United States as Russia’s ‘Other’ ‘Nashi’: The Creation of Anti-Western National Elites ‘The Fall of an Empire: The Lesson of Byzantium’ Pussy Riot: Making a Nation of the ‘Soviet Orthodox People’ Conclusion Notes

5 Battling against ‘Foreign Agents’

From Conspiracy Theories to Conspiracy Practices Defining the Domestic Threat The Spy Rock NGOs as ‘Foreign Agents’ Conclusion

6 Shadows of the Revolution

Putin as National Leader ‘Putin’s Enemies’ International Observers as ‘Fake Structures’ The Leader Defines the Enemy The White Ribbon Divides the Country ‘The Voice from Nowhere’ ‘The White Ribbon Aims to Shed Blood’ The ‘Spoiled Muscovites’ vs. ‘The Real Russia’ Michael McFaul: ‘Ambassador for Colour Revolutions’ Poklonnaia Hill vs. Bolotnaia Square Conclusion

7 The War has Begun

Ukraine, ‘The Puppet State’ The ‘Selfish’ Minority vs. The ‘Patriots’ The ‘People’s’ Leader and the ‘Treacherous Elites’ Traitors are in the Kremlin Seek and Destroy: The Conspiratorial Legitimization of the New Laws Conclusion Notes

Conclusion References Index End User License Agreement