The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of publications by prominent scholar Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism. In this article, the author analyzes the reasons for the Slavophiles’ victory over the adherents of “state patriotism.”

The Institute of Modern Russia continues the series of publications by prominent scholar Alexander Yanov on the history of Russian nationalism. In this article, the author recounts the 19th century clash between “state patriotism” and “Slavophilism.”

Russia has been shaken by a series of scandals concerning the exposure of plagiarism in the dissertations of politicians and officials. Verification of the authenticity of their research was initiated by a group of bloggers and coincided with a reform launched by the Education Ministry that aimed at reducing the number of inefficient universities in Russia. Education Minister Dmitri Livanov ended up at the center of the stir. IMR Advisor Olga Khvostunova discusses why the authenticity of the dissertations has become a political issue.

The Russian authorities have acknowledged that they do not know what nearly half of the country’s working-age population does. IMR Advisor Boris Bruk has analyzed the Soviet-era experience of fighting “parasitism” and compared it to the present day.

It is often argued that Russia’s democratic future is assured by the progressive and pro-Western attitudes of its youth. Donald N. Jensen, Resident Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, contends that the reality is more complex.