Стр. 36 - V (1)

Упрощенная HTML-версия

Author : Yu. Bulatov
Dean, School of International Relations, Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations,
Professor, Doctor of Science (History)
In the past and today, the national question demon-
strated and is demonstrating two trends in the Russian
multiethnic state. On the eve of World War I, in Rus-
sia and abroad functionaries of left-wing parties paid
enough attention to the subject. Their analysis of the
socio-economic processes in the European countries
suggested a conclusion that under capitalism social
development demonstrates two clearly discernible
trends in the sphere of national relations.
In the twentieth century, the West smoothly moved
from the first to the second trend in the national question. All sides of social life became inter-
nationalized.
It should be said that throughout the twentieth century the Russian politicians had to learn how
to correctly assess the centrifugal and centripetal trends and use this skill in practice. Today, very
much like in the past, the country leaders keep in mind this specific feature of Russian society
and Russian politics.
The history of the national republics in the Soviet Union is an inalienable part of the history of
the Bolsheviks' program on the national question formulated at the early stages of the Russian
Social-Democratic Labor Party.
The attempts of the Kremlin leaders to use Lenin's ideas about a single community of people
failed and the corresponding plans remained unrealized. The Third Program of the CPSU (1961)
postulated that the peoples should be drawn closer together to achieve their complete unity and
a common internationalist culture. The program, however, did not say how this could be done.
The national policy of the Russian Federation should be divided into two stages according to
Putin's first and second presidential terms. During his first term as president, Putin put the entire
administrative resource into action to stop decentralization: the country was divided into several
federal districts which consolidated the vertical of power; the principles on which the Federation
Council was formed were changed; the State Council and a Public Chamber were set up; the
federal center annulled over 3.5 thousand normative acts passed by the subjects of the Russian
Federation which contradicted the Constitution of Russia.
During Putin's second term as President, much was done to elaborate specific measures to con-
solidate the multinational people of Russia and to ensure civil and national unity.
Today, for the first time in the history of the Russian state, the share of Russians in the Russian
Federation is slightly over 80 percent, which means that according to international standards
Russia is a monoethnic state. Russia, however, is not only a state but a self-sufficient civilization
Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Centripetal and Centrifugal Trends in Multiethnic States