A little about the ideology of today's Russia
There was an interesting discussion on the English-speaking Internet. It began with a video[1] dedicated to the ideology of today's Russia and continued with a response[2] to it by Vlad Veksler. The first blogger argues that the Russian regime should not be seen as just "corrupt" and "gangster". In fact, he is driven by fascist ideology. This fascist ideology is formed from three pillars: Ivan Ilyin, Lev Gumilyov, Karl Schmitt. It looks like the author goes over Dugin, arguing that he is greatly overestimated by the West and in reality is an uninfluencing clown. This seems to be the only undisputed part of the video.
As for Ivan Ilyin, it’s hard to argue here. Putin really likes to refer to him. But where to find Lev Gumilyov in the rhetoric of the Russian authorities is already a mystery. Lev Gumilyov was a city madman, who is revered, perhaps, by the Eurasians (clowns who do not influence anything). Traces of the obvious influence of Karl Schmidt are also not visible. However, Schmitt's ideas about power are uncomplicated, so they often echo the ideas of kitchen political scientists, including those in positions of power. But at the same time, Schmitt and kitchen political scientists came to these ideas independently.
Thus, only Ilyin remains (and even here I heard the opinion that the Russian authorities quote Ilyin very selectively). The final argument in favor of the fascist essence of the Kremlin in the video is the Russian series about Trotsky. Say, it shows that the Russian revolution was made by the Jews - well, that’s exactly it, fascist propaganda!
But it is worth thinking not about what is in this video, but about what is missing from it. For example, the mention of Soviet anti-colonial rhetoric, which is very fond of the Kremlin. Putin's "reunion" speech, exposing Western colonialism with capitalism, could well be imagined at some Tricontinental conference in the 60s, where everyone from Che Guevara to Allende (noble fascists) would applaud it. How can this be put in the same basket as Ilyin and Schmitt? And don't put it down. Therefore, we return to the previous question: does the Kremlin really have an ideology?
No, the Kremlin does not have an ideology as a certain consistent system of views. The Kremlin has a box with colorful rattles - today they got one (Ilyina), tomorrow another (anti-colonial rhetoric). This is how Vlad Veksler explains it in his answer - and he is absolutely right. I will add to this that even if the Kremlin does not have a consistent ideology, the Kremlin definitely has a worldview. And, it seems, it really implies ideas close to Schmittian: politics is a shameless struggle for power, and any rhetoric in it is just a smokescreen. But this worldview was formed not by the intelligent method "I read a book - I began to think like that", but under the influence of specific experience. The history of Putin's service in the GDR or his work for Sobchak in the 90s will tell us much more about the genesis of the Kremlin's views than Ilyin with Schmitt. The content of the heads of the Kremlin elders is about psychology, not about philosophy.
Mihail Pojarsky 2022-11-06
