In the realm of political discourse there is a distinct gap in understanding between Russia and the West. To an outsider, the ideas that animate the actions of Russia's ruling elite, opposition, and civil society - from the motivations driving Russia's political actors to the class structure and international and domestic constraints that shape Russia's political thinking - remain shrouded in mystery. Contrary to the view that a bleak discursive uniformity reigns in Vladimir Putin's Russia, Political Ideologies in Contemporary Russia shows that the country is engaging in serious theoretical debates across a wide spectrum of modern ideologies including liberalism, nationalism, feminism, and multiculturalism. Elena Chebankova argues that the nation is fragmented and the state seeks to balance the various ideological movements to ensure that none dominates. She shows that each of the main ideological trends is far from uniform, but the major opposition is between liberalism and traditionalism. The pluralistic picture she describes contests many current portrayals of Russia as an authoritarian or even totalitarian state. Offering an alternative to the Western lens through which to view global politics, Political Ideologies in Contemporary Russia is a major contribution to our understanding of this world power.

Elena Chebankova is a research fellow at the Centre for Governance and Public Management, Carleton University.

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“[Chebankova]’s forensic, historically grounded, and comparatively informed treatment of Russia’s main ideological trends is a valuable addition to our understanding of contemporary Russian politics. It successfully argues that Russian intellectual life is more vibrant and pluralist than is often presented, as well as far more complex." H-Russia

"A useful rejoinder to much of the simplistic analysis of Russia that predominates nowadays. Chebankova displays an excellent mastery of the subject matter and treats it in a balanced and fair way. This book will benefit scholars and members of the general public interested in a more detailed analysis of modern Russia." Paul Robinson, University of Ottawa