Russia after empire

Postimperial status our country is confused[151]. Today Russia is not yet full-fledged national state. I think that it is mutilated, lost at time and space postimperial formation. There is no concensus in public consciousness about legal state borders: it is very difficult to answer the question, why some regions constitute the state, and why other regions do not. As before the country disposes of "imperial body" (1) (E.A. Pain), which was got in inheritance from imperial stage of the territorial expantion. Hitherto the most part of society and political elite perceive imperial territorial inheritance as certain nearly sacred value, that it is impossible waive under no circumstances, inspite of “sociocultural vicinity” or “sociocultural distance” of "disputable" territory. But the most unpleasant is concluded, to my mind, in the fact that the threat of disinteration of Russia as state formation, remained from empire, is saved.

In inheritance from empire we got an ethnonational and socuocultural "flowering difficulty" (K.N.Leontiev) of Russian regions: they referes to three civilizations, three world religions; they resides to different stages of the economic development: preindustrial, industrial and postindustrial. Besides, from my opinion, nation did not formed in Russia neither in its ethnic, nor in its “postethnic”, civil sense. Traditional question – how to agree so heterogeneous regional interests – is very important for our agenda. But deal is not only in cultural and civilizational differences. On the strength of the positions of Russian regions (territory, economic) and its differences on the scale of the stages of development they have different interests and they extremely differ on level of living, incom and social protection.

The outlying Russian regions often are attracted not to Moscow, but to other world centres of economic. For example Kaliningrad/Kenigsberge region is attracted to ES in accordance with some economic, historical and cultural reasons. In the East side of the country the states or Asian and Pacific Ocean region, first of all China, are the source of the strong economic attraction. We do not speak about strictly cultural or civilizational reorientations of Siberia and Russian Far East but about absolute economic integration of these regions in economy of foreign Asia. Nevertheless, as we know from history, political integration often follows the economic integration. Often this is a function of time. We pay attention to these well-known points to emphasize the differences in interests of Russian regions, to put a question about possibility to agree so different interests within the framework of Russian state, leaving but not left from empire.

The World history experience gives two main decisions, individually executed under influence of different historical and sociocultural contexts. The First variant expects straightening of ethno-federative relations as a procedure of regional interests co-ordination, of delimitation and delegation of authority. This is a long, often nerve-racking process for Russian authorities. Temptation to return to traditional but failed forms of state management, to simplify the co-ordinations of interests, to go to order, authoritarian management and unitary state is too great. This is the Second way.

In its frame the interests of regions are minimum agreed, the main decisions are taken in the centre, the processes of "co-ordination" realize in traditions of unitary imperial state. Such were the practices in the USSR and Empire of Romanoffs. Though there were the known exceptions with autonomy of Finland and the Constitution of Polish Kindom in tsarist Empire... This design expects using violence against nonconformists. This is an inheritance, which unites the present-day Russian state with the state of Russian Imperia. I agree the key characteristic of empires, given by E.Yasin: existence of Empires is impossible without violence, although in soft forms. This is the main identifying sign of empires (2). To change the vector of Russian development and to get free from imperial life, it is necessary to enclose the considerable efforts, to form up the real federalism, to work on shaping of the civil nation, to form the democratic institutes and traditions.

To continue the motion in a direction of historically accustomed imperial life, so significant efforts are not required. Now it is possible to observe a reconstruction of authoritarian unitary state mechanism. But if earlier (in pre-soviet period) advantages of imperial state and authoritarian rule exceed the costs, after the Second war costs have gradually exceed the advantage. Today this is the most essential restriction on a way of the development of the country. I’ll again refer to position of E.Yasin: a decay of empire began long ago. The country developed, empire (as its political form) – not, and this fact became the brake of the further development of the country (3). It is likely that choice between two variants of development is made. De facto the variant of the reconstitution of unitary state is chose. As a result we can see refusal of democracy in favour of its “operated”, even decorative variant. But differences of Russian regions can not to combine the unitary form of state organization (de jure or de facto) with democracy.

Often the choice of unitarianism affects on situational actions of authorities in relations with politicians, business, mass media. Possible, today this way is efficient, but this effect is temporary, especially tactical. If long and firm joint coexistence of heterogeneous Russian regions and their inhabitants is possible in principle, this possibility is based on two cardinal principles: existence of real federalism with elements of confederacy – and existence of civil, multiethnic nation. Civil, rather then ethnic nation expresses the generic relationship with citizenship of the empires. To reach this aim our imperial inheritance can be useful: we can not form the ethnic nation, but can form multiethnic and civil nation. Such variant is undoubtedly preferred in the sense of observance of civil and political liberties, human rights in general too.

What can help or disturb to carry out these principles and what can help or disturb to set right the further joint life of the people on the territory of Russian state?

It is possible to build the joint life of a civil nation in federative/confederate state on a basis of consumer and achievement activity of a person. In shoulder strap for "russian daydream" in its moscow, jakutsk and other registration he can (may by only temporary) not to recall, "who is he, whence and where he goes", or, anyway, "forget" about his cultural-civilizational identity. While his “memory” does not define his social activity - an postimperial Russian state will exist in its own present borders. But today traditional religious identity of different ethnic groups is present in public consciousness often in hidden, latent form. As rule it is washed away with westernization and with the policy of total secularization, conducted by soviet power.

As a result of this politicians significant and may be the most part of population is indifferent to religions. As I.Yakovenko has noticed (4), number of those who suggest itself as a part of Russian orthodox church forms about several percents of the society and this number will not grow seriously. This indifference unites the country and smooths inter-ethnic and inter-religion contradictions. As soon as process of ethno-religion rebirth will become on-persisting mass, serious contradictions will arise, putting under question the territorial wholeness of the country. Degree of expression of traditionalism defines degree of toughness of Russia. To my mind, today a part of Russian political class tries to rest on some elements of traditionalism, first of all in its religious variant. This course has not prospect, as today former imperial mechanisms are destroy for the country. But during seventy years of the soviet authority not only traditionalists but society as a whole were greatly weakened. If compare the democratic potential of tsarist Russia and contemporary Russia, we can deduse, that this comparison will not give the unambiguous advantage to present-day situation.

For decennial events of soviet authorities our country seriously advanced on a way of modernization, it made demographic transition, it collected Russian population in city, destroyed patriarchal, including religious, traditions. The country passed industrialization, it obtained high level of mass education. But during this period, especially before 1953, wу have lost many millions of high educated men, who not only strived to install in Russia democracy and republic, but who was also ready to take part personally in this process. Before the revolution of 1917, millions of men in the country rested on furcated system of civil institutions. They tried to direct the country on European way of development. But this was not got peacefully, step by step, and it was needed the revolution of 1905, but then February revolution of 1917.

At the end of the soviet period layer people, comparable with prerevolutionary on number of human quality - professional and civil, – was not in Soviet Russia. There were dissidents and sympathizing him, but almost nobody of them went in post-soviet policy, almost nobody of them renewed rows of Russian officialdom. The new authority was created with men without experience in democratic work, it was created with some portion of chance.

In soviet Russia there were not a broad democratic motion, as it was in other countries of “soviet block”. However there were sewn hundreds of thousands of people in the country, who took part in demonstrations of 1990-1991. There were men, who was ready to die for new Russian republic, as it was at August 1991 (events near White house) and at October 1993 (events near Mossovet), but there were not a necessary number of those, who was capable to take part in everyday stale work, save the ideals and value them cherish then material advantages. Moreover, there were insufficient amount of the people in country, who was ready to consider the democracy as value and use the democratic rights. "Democracy – is a public order for free people. /.../ That one, who uses his liberty, is free" (5). But once so, it is necessary to use others, who, outside of dependencies from their own glance and past, can and will die to work, capable to quick-and-dirty everyday official work. They are ready to work for sake of its material interest possess certain internal discipline. So the rise of number of former members of power structures in our authorities must not be surprise in this sense. They were added with traditions of state management. If it is impossible on that or other reasons to rest on society, authority rests on power structures. Coming from the conditions before August 1991, such result was more probable, therefore, probably, it became the reality.

Our common history carrying concludes in the fact that it was realized certain averaged variant of possible future, not the most good, but also not the most bad. The most terrible practices of social transformation Russia has shown to whole world at years of the Civil war of 1918-1921, and terible practices of transformations of multinational federation - in 1990-e years were demonstrated to the world by S.Miloshevich and Serbian nationalists in former Yugoslavia. Considering particularities of soviet inheritance, extreme weakness of the political class, to say nothing of practical absence of political elite, we have easy finished. The political class only began be formed, and for its formation and reproducing from their own rows efficient and responsible elite, it need, to say the least, many decades. But now it is only formed, including in its composition and rejecting pretenders not only upon their political glance, but also according their management efficiency.

The power is intrinsically heterogeneous: therefore it is necessary to take into account differences in political glance of high officials. The political class of modern Russia, with the known share of conventionality, is possible to split into two main groups: "liberal bureaucrats" and "former members of force structures". They occupy, on statement of Moscow political jokers, different "Kremlin towers". Naturally that each of these groups have its own picture of the world, they have its own belief about due and non-due, about that what is good and what is bad for Russia.

This fission perhaps calls with that, what was at years of "great reforms" of Alexander II. So, some foreign historians reveals two types of Russian political culture, which characterize the enlightened bureaucrat-“zapadnik” (western-oriented persons) and so named "police officials". The system of values of political culture (the first type) comprised legality, equality of the people, the personal initiative and legal political power. Central for "police" political culture (the second type) were such value, as paternity, trusteeship and confession of personal authorities of the monarch, rather then law, as well as negative, suspicious attitude to independent public and peasantry. In ditto time elements of "police mentality" come to light in worldoutlook of modern reformers since in base of their glance lay the confession of the primate of the state interest and conservations (the preservations) of order and stability (6).

These groups of official express the different public moods. And the largest threat for democratic development of Russia – at its transiting period from soviet model of power to modern west democracy – is marked civil opposition, care from constructive dialogue between authority and society. Responsibility for this lies on the authorities and on the society. Those who “represents the power as demon”, they help it to fortify in authoritarian "orthodox-autocratic" corridor of the possibilities and they make the greater mistake.

Instead of this, it needs constant dialogue with “sober” people in the authority, in spite of their former and present professional implements, in spite of their personal political glance. It is not necessary “to represent as demon” former and present members of force structures, lamenting about big amount of them in the authorities. The dialogue washes away the positions of both sides since it can lead to compromise. Therefore it is so complicated to go in a direction of dialogue. To stand in side, feeling intellectual superiority to explain, why power is always wrong, and how bad are all its projects, and why its actions and inactions will absurdly finished, is easier. It is necessary to speak with power on language of interests, rather then ideals and principles. Today the real possibility for our civil society to assist the democratizations of Russia is consist in interaction with power first of all by means of efficient participation in process of state and corporative management. As it was got during the hole period of the reforms, for instance, by A.Chubys.

Dialogue is successful if it brings to compromise. But what is the ground this compromise can be reached?

Paradoxically, but temporary, situational compromise is received spontaneously, and it is concluded in possibility to avoid the history choice during any time, to avoid any mental decision in connection with our imperial/postimperial, to avoid the question about ourselves: are we West or Orient, are we a part of European civilization or not, where vector of our history development is directed.

The possibility of the compromise is connected with global economic conjuncture, tempestuous economic growing in countries of the third world, sharp growth of raw materials and energy resources consumption. In industrial epoch raw materials and energy resources were wholly enough for economic necessities of "golden billion", today they will be enough for the rest world too, but this will be more high level of prices. Naturally, such situation in the world trade will bring to additional financial and global political advantage for countries-exporters of raw materials, including Russia. That is why it is realizing in our country briefly-level variant of “energy and raw materials superpower" (sverkhderzhava). Now it forms rare in world history situation: for some times it will be possible to get all increasing incoms to account of growing of raw material and energy resources world prices, not fearing of change of price dynamic. Permanent rising of this price dynamic minimizes the risks of external economic shock for Russia. But this, in turn, minimizes the risks of internal political convulsions. If we shall be able to avoid an national-patriotic deadlock end, as well as cutting the intensification of election competition between different "towers of Kremlin", political stability and economic growing are practically guaranteed.

In other words, positive particularities of foreign economic conjuncture are capable to freeze ethnic and federative relations between Russian regions, greatly mute real and potential separate moods, postpone in vast distant future possible of the third stage of state deconsruction (I speak about state which going from imperial to national form of its organizations). Historical pause of "energy superpower" will be able to become a "fairy tale about lost time". But it can enable more predictable and more firm for self-determination of Russian society and state.

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