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Y. Boiko,
D. Sc. (Politics)
E. Sadykova,
Ph.D. (Law)
PROVINCES OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE
In the present period of global importance Russia is facing major tasks connected with modernization processes. The need to work out new mechanisms of implementing effective economic reforms, the problem of widespread terrorism, criminalization of various spheres of public life, the stepping up of migration processes, etc. require the constant improvement of state management at the federal and regional levels. The new conditions of the advancement of states predetermine the need to correlate national interests with universal and regional tendencies of the development of the world community.
Russia is the biggest Eurasian power having the greatest number of bordering countries on land. Among its maritime neighbors are such countries as the United States and Japan, Turkey and Iran. As a result of the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. fifteen newly-formed states have emerged almost simultaneously. In most of the 83 legal parts of the Russian Federation (RF) the administrative borders coincide with the state borders passing along seas, land and rivers. Some parts of the Russian Federation have inherited the "old" borders of the Soviet period. These include the Astrakhan, Kaliningrad and Leningrad
regions, the Krasnodar territory, and the republics of Altai and Dagestan. The political, economic and social transformations going on in Russia after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. have undoubtedly exerted a profound influence on the formation of new federative relations in Russia. The transition process in the development of Russian statehood in the new conditions has passed unevenly and was accompanied with a host of difficulties. Along with the tasks of the political and economic transformation of the country, the problem of the change and improvement of relations between the federal center and the regions, with a view to creating a stable democratic state, was especially urgent. The well-known Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin wrote that "federation is only possible where the people (or peoples) have learnt the art of reaching agreement or a compromise... Bent to discord, respect of one's own personal view and insistence on one's own opinion, as well as vanity, conceit, arbitrariness, etc. are unacceptable to federation." Definitely, the events of the initial period of the formation of independent Russia have confirmed the thoughts of this outstanding philosopher.
After the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. the separatist forces in individual regions have stepped up their activities in an attempt to follow suit the example of the former Union republics of the U.S.S.R., that is, proclaim their sovereignty, thus contributing to centrifugal tendencies. At that time the question of the new principles of building the Russian state became quite urgent. Its solution could only be successful with due account of the multinational and multiconfessional composition of the state (about 175 ethnic groups and peoples). An unstable political situation was aggravated by socio-economic problems in the conditions of a transition state.
The Strategy of national security of the Russian Federation up to 2020 points out that "Russia has overcome the aftermath of the
systemic political and socio-economic crisis at the end of the 20th century: it prevented the downfall of the level and quality of the living standards of the Russian citizens,, withstood the onslaught of nationalism, separatism and international terrorism, stopped the discredit campaign aimed against the constitutional system, preserved sovereignty and territorial integrity, restored the possibility of increasing its competitiveness, and protecting its national interests as a key subject of the multipolar international relations.
The problems of internal regionalization have a great importance in these processes. The tasks of modernizing the Russian social system cannot be solved successfully without due account of this factor. In the new conditions of world development the role of internal regions for the safe existence and functioning of the state becomes ever more significant. Transfer to a stable development of the Russian Federation as a whole is only possible along with ensuring a stable and secure progress of all regions. This is a must for the preservation and functioning of a country as an entity. Russia continues to go through all-round reforms, and the new political, economic, social and cultural realities require the further clarification and improvement of the system of mutual relations between the parts of the Federation. The unique position of Russia in the Eurasian area needs to evolve its own geostrategic model as the quintessence of different national, cultural and confessional interests and values. Above all, the influence of the geographical specificities of Russian territories situated at the joint of the civilizations of the West and the East should always be taken into account. At the cultural-civilization level Russia borders, as it were, on the Buddhist, Islamic and West European cultural systems. Some peoples and regions are drawn, in one degree or another, to the European system of values, others - to the values of Oriental civilizations. The borders of the Russian Federation with China in the
Far East and with Finland and Norway in the North-West are cultural and political frontiers. In the Caucasus state borders touch on countries related to different cultural systems.
The post-Soviet area has become one of the serious seats of instability at the present development stage of international relations. The growth of ethno-nationalistic and ethno-separatist sentiments and tendencies, ethnic and territorial conflicts, greater activity of the extremist forces, organized crime, etc. create serious problems in the sphere of ensuring security not only in the post-Soviet area, but also beyond its borders. The effectiveness of the measures to oppose these negative trends is lowered by the problems of international-legal nature coming from a whole number of states, and shortcomings of the border infrastructure. Among the border regions which have been subjected to considerable foreign influence during their entire history, the North Caucasian region and the Far Eastern regions should be singled out, which lie far from the Center of the Federation and are quite close to states of another, Oriental civilization. A special place is taken by Kaliningrad region in the North-West of the Russian Federation. The geopolitical situation of the North Caucasian republics at the crossroads of civilizations creates a complex system of their interaction with the Islamic and Christian worlds, the states of the South Caucasus and the Russian regions bordering on the North Caucasus. This factor exerts a profound influence on the conflictogenic nature of the entire region. Researchers of the problem turn their attention to the active migration processes characteristic of the region, including constant inflow and outflow of people from the central regions of Russia. Growing emigration from the North Caucasian region as a result of wars and revolutions in the 19th and the 20th centuries led to the formation of numerous and influential diasporas of Cherkessians (Adygs), Chechens
and other ethnic groups of the North Caucasus in several countries of the Middle East and in Turkey.
The difficult problems of the North Caucasus had emerged back in Soviet times due to resettlement of entire peoples, revision and changes of borders, and uneven distribution of industries. The socioeconomic and ethnopolitical processes, which began in the republics of the former U.S.S.R. in the late-1980s - early 1990s considerably increased social tension in the North Caucasus and led to interethnic conflicts. The most vivid and tragic were the "Chechen crisis" and the Ossetian-Ingush conflicts of 1992. From the early 1990s the North Caucasus has been the most troublesome region of Russia in which conflicts flared up virtually one after another. At present the criminogenic situation in the region still persists, various gangs make armed raids against law-enforcement agencies and units, army and police groups, and various objects in border districts,
In determining approaches to solution of the above-mentioned problems we should proceed from the following basic factors which considerably complicate the implementation of the uniform federal strategy in the region: the low level of socio-economic development; multi-ethnicity (more than 40 indigenous peoples and ethnic groups); policonfessionality (Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism); overpopulation (the most densely populated region of Russia with a great shortage of low-lying lands); low employment of the population; complex demographic situation (uneven settlement, migration processes, refugee problems); territorial disputes between people inhabiting the region; problems of separatism, extremism and criminality, etc. In examining the main factors which have an impact on stability in the North Caucasian region, it is necessary to take into account the potential of outside interference supporting the extremist forces and using interethnic and interconfessional contradictions.
The territory of the Russian Far East has an important place in the geopolitical vectors of the Russian Federation. Parts of that region have different areas, natural resources, socio-economic development level, number of the population, etc. Borders with foreign countries of the region determine the specificity of its national composition. For example, about 40,000 Koreans live on the territory of the region. It is also necessary to mention the problems of the southern border districts of the Far Eastern Federal region connected with labor and illegal migration from China.
Ethnocultural specific features are largely determined by the centers of Buddhism in Buryatia and Tyva, as well as the districts of the Federation inhabited by Altais, Tuvins, Khakas, Shorians, and Buryats, which stretch along the Russian border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. In the northern districts of the Far Eastern region small indigenous ethnic groups of the North with their traditional economic and cultural traditions and customs inhabit very large territories. With due account of the geopolitical conditions of the border regions under review a question arises about possible threats to the strategic interests of the Russian Federation in the Far East. The Asia-Pacific region, part of which is taken by the Far Eastern region of Russia, is an important center of the world economy. Integration in the economic area of this important international structure is very important for the balanced territorial development of the regions of the Far East and a direction of international cooperation of Russia. A great role in this process is given to the development of the economic relations of Russia with border countries on the bilateral basis, and also within the framework of international regional organizations.
World experience shows that one of the reasons for the formation of new ethnic groups can be prolonged isolation of part of an ethnos from the basic ethnic mass. There are many different causes of
this isolation, among them a change in the geopolitical situation and state borders, migration processes, etc. All this is characteristic of Kaliningrad region beginning from 1990, when it became detached from the main territory of Russia due to a change in its geopolitical situation. Kaliningrad region is the only part of the Russian Federation completely isolated from the rest of the country's territory by land borders of foreign countries - Poland and Lithuania and international waters. Among the ethnic groups inhabiting the border territories are Polish and Lithuanian, which exert a profound influence on the development of the region, especially after its entry in international contacts. The special geopolitical position of this region of the Federation plays a major role in ensuring the national interests of Russian in the Baltic area and in Europe as a whole. Among the most important aspects are protecting Russian sovereignty on this territory, turning it into a key Russian region for the development of cooperation with the Baltic countries, and the rapid progress of Russia's economic ties with other states. This region, having broad opportunities for economic cooperation and humanitarian, scientific and information exchanges can contribute to the establishment of greater trust and mutual understanding between the Baltic republics and Russia. The progress of Kaliningrad region is closely connected with Russia's involvement in strategic partnership with the countries of the European Union.
Cooperation within the framework of the economic and strategic interests of the Baltic countries can create a firm basis for regional and European security, where Kaliningrad region occupies a special place due to its specific geopolitical position.
The above-mentioned examples of certain parts of the Russian Federation show that the factor of the geo-civilization model of Russia plays an important role in examining the problems of strengthening
national and state unity. The assessment of the role of Russia in inter-civilizational cooperation is impossible without examination of the problems of interethnic and interconfessional dialogue in Russia. A study of the role of geopolitical development factors of parts of the Russian Federation in the conditions of globalization and regionalization processes makes it possible to form an integral and systemic idea about the specific features of the influence of modern challenges and threats to Russia and possible approaches to evolving measures to overcome the political and economic asymmetry of its parts.
Internal political stability of Russia largely depends on drawing closer the interests of the peoples inhabiting it, creating conditions for their all-round cooperation, and implementing well-thought-out nationalities and regional policy. A comprehensive approach to tackling these tasks should form the basis of domestic policy of the state ensuring its progress as a multinational and democratic federative state.
"Mir i politika. ", Moscow, 2012, No 12, pp. 130-134.
D. Mulyukova,
Political analyst
FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL
POLITICAL MYTHS IN MODERN RUSSIA
(On the example of the Republic of Tatarstan)
In the early 1990s the people of Russia came across not only with changes in the institutionalized sphere, but also the need to revise radically the values and standards which dominated their life for many years. In the political sphere there was the change of communist ideology to new socio-political myths answering the requirements of post-Soviet society. Perestroika began with the myths ("it's impossible
