Russian Nationalism: Between Imperialism and Xenophobia
Journal: European View
Year: 2014

The two major subcurrents within nationalism in Russia are imperial nationalism, which rests on the notion of Russia's political and cultural dominance in the region, and xenophobic nationalism, based on ethnic criteria and directed against immigrants. The Russian government uses both trends: by carrying out imperial nationalist policies (crowned recently with the annexation of Crimea) and by ‘managing’ xenophobic sentiments–-channelling social discontent and directing it against immigrants, but