Yablokov, I. orcid.org/0000-0001-7766-8867 (2018) Conspiracy theories in post-Soviet Russia. In: Uscinski, J.E., (ed.) Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them. Oxford University Press , New York ISBN 9780190844073
Abstract
Throughout the post-Soviet period various conspiracy theories, most of which have been anti-Western, have moved from the margins of intellectual life to the mainstream of Russian politics. The trauma of the Soviet collapse enabled political elites to offer a conspiratorial reading of the event, and use this both for the purpose of nation-building and for suppressing democratic opposition by accusing its proponents of having destroyed the Soviet Union from within. Russian political elites use conspiracy theories to tackle emerging challenges by dividing Russian society into a majority loyal to the Kremlin, and a minority which is supposedly out to destroy Russia. The state authorities, including top-ranking politicians, seem to be the main producers of this conspiracy discourse; however, they use it with great care, with much reliance on the support of intellectuals who take part both in the production and dissemination of these theories to the general public. Studying conspiracy theories in Russia provides us with a means to comprehend domestic politics and to explain the strategies of the Russian political elite on both the domestic and international levels.
Metadata
Item Type: | Book Section |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Editors: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 Oxford University Press. This is a draft of a chapter that was accepted for publication by Oxford University Press in Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them (2018). Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | conspiracy theory; Russia; New World Order; Putin; color revolutions; Ukraine |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Journalism Studies (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 15 Dec 2021 07:53 |
Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2021 18:11 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/oso/9780190844073.003.0024 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:181498 |