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The United Russia party's vision of Russian identity |
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Published by Izvestia (Russian)
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Tuesday, 06 February 2007 |
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United Russia's ideologues take the offensive against extreme nationalists The United Russia party's vision of Russian identity "United Russia will offer the general public its own interpretation of the nationality question: not a divisive concept, but one aiming to unite Russian citizens of all ethnic groups and religious faiths in the cause of reviving a great and united country. A large group of prominent academics, politicians, political consultants, and journalists gathered on February 3 at one of the United Russia's think-tanks, the Social-Conservative Policy Center, to launch a new party project. Over the next few months, United Russia will offer the general public its own interpretation of the nationality question: not a divisive concept, but one aiming to unite Russian citizens of all ethnic groups and religious faiths in the cause of reviving a great and united country. The meeting of the Social-Conservative Policy Club, called to discuss "Shaping the Russian Nation," lasted almost three hours. Eventually, it resolved to establish a New Russian Political Center - a body of United Russia party experts who will work to inform voters in all regions about United Russia's interpretation of the slogan which is heard so often at demonstrations: "Russia for Russians!" ... "The Russian language has been used "to formulate projects which have changed the world" (the "Moscow as the Third Rome" doctrine and communist ideology), and the language itself is what makes it possible "to see that which is Russian in all its vast and religious diversity." So fighting for the Russian language is a very important objective, politically as well as culturally...."
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Russia