Bücher der Reihe Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series

Examining the role of dramatized narratives in Russian television, this book stresses the ways in which the Russian government under Putin use primetime television to express an understanding of what it means to be Russian, answering key questions of national identity for modern Russians in dealing with their history: What really happened to us?

This book provides an overview of the state of Russia after the 2012 presidential election. It considers a wide range of both domestic and international issues, examining both the run up to and the consequences of the election. It covers political, economic and social topics. It assesses the political scene both before and after the election, and discusses the nature of and likely future of democracy in Russia. The election 's impact on the Russian economy is discussed in detail, as are Russia 's relationships with the United States, the European Union and other parts of the world.

The idea that socialism could be established in a single country was adopted as an official doctrine by the Soviet Union in 1925, Stalin and Bukharin being the main formulators of the policy. Before this there had been much debate as to whether the only way to secure socialism would be as a result of socialist revolution on a much broader scale, across all Europe or wider still. This book traces the development of ideas about communist utopia from Plato onwards, paying particular attention to debates about universalist ideology versus the possibility for "socialism in one country". The book argues that although the prevailing view is that "socialism in one country" was a sharp break from a long tradition that tended to view socialism as only possible if universal, in fact the territorially confined socialist project had long roots, including in the writings of Marx and Engels.

The purpose of this book is to move beyond the approach which views energy as a purely geopolitical tool of the Russian state and assumes a 'one size fits all' approach to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) energy security.

Examines reform of the Russian military since the end of the Cold War. This book argues that Putin's policies of bolstering central control has left untouched many key problems, including infighting between different forces, lack of transparency over defence spending, and absence of consensus on the main threats.

This book examines how membership of the European Union has affected life in the ten former communist countries of Eastern Europe that are now members of the European Union. For each country, political, economic and social changes are described and discussed, together with people's perceptions of the effects of EU membership. Overall, the book shows how the benefits of EU membership have differed between different countries, and how perceptions about the benefits also differ and have changed over time.

Russia has generally been neglected in the academic and policy discourse on regional integration in East Asia. This book fills this gap, with particular attention to the role of Pacific Russia in the deepening regional integration in East Asia. It examines the increasingly diverse foreign policy interests of Russia related to emerging economic and political realities of the world, and Russiäs potential role in the regional integration in East Asia.

This book examines the new labour market in Russia, looking especially at how changes in the market are affecting men and women differently, and how 'coping strategies' are being developed by both men and women.

From smugglers to entrepreneurs, blue-collar workers and taxi drivers, this book deals with the multitude of characters engaged in informal economic practices in the former socialist regions. Going beyond a conception of informality as opposed to the formal sector, its authors demonstrate the fluid nature of informal transactions straddling the crossroads between illegal, illicit, socially acceptable and symbolically meaningful practices. Alongside `getting by¿ and `getting ahead¿ in recently marketised societies, these meanings relate to sociality, kinship-ties and solidarity, along with more surprising `political¿ and moral reasonings.

The challenges in Russiäs energy sector are changing. On the demand side, Europe is seeking to limit its dependence on Russian oil and gas, leading potentially to growing export markets in Asia, whilst on the supply side, oil and gas fields in West Siberia are diminishing. This book explores the challenges facing Russiäs energy sector and the resulting security implications. It includes a discussion of how far the Russian state is likely to continue to monopolise the energy sector, and how far competition from private and foreign companies might be allowed.

This book explores the phenomenon of de facto states in Eurasia. It examines how they are formed, what sustains them and how their differing development trajectories have unfolded. It argues that have been formed with either direct or indirect support from Russia. The book both provides detailed case studies and draws out general patterns.

The end of communism in Europe has tended to be discussed mainly in the context of political science and history. This book, in contrast, assesses the cultural consequences for Europe of the disappearance of the Soviet bloc. Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, the book examines the new narratives about national, individual and European identities that have emerged in literature, theatre and other cultural media, investigates the impact on the mental landscape of Western Europe as well as Eastern Europe and Russia, and explores the new borders in the form of divisive nationalism that have reappeared since the disappearance of the Iron Curtain.

This book examines the nature of the extreme right in contemporary Russia.

Explores the idea of civil society and how it is being implemented in Eastern Europe. Relating the concept of civil society in Eastern Europe to sociological theories, this book makes international comparisons where appropriate. It also discusses particular aspects of civil society, and examines the difficulties of establishing civil society.

In Soviet times, anthropologists in the Soviet Union were closely involved in the stateΓÇÖs work of nation building. They helped define official nationalities, and gathered material about traditional customs and suitably heroic folklore, whilst at the same time refraining from work on the reality of contemporary Soviet life. Since the end of the Soviet Union anthropology in Russia has been transformed. International research standards have been adopted, and the focus of research has shifted to include urban culture and difficult subjects, such as xenophobia. However, this transformation has been, and continues to be, controversial, with, for example, strongly contested debates about the relevance of Western anthropology and cultural theory to post-Soviet reality. This book presents an overview of how anthropology in Russia has changed since Soviet times, and showcases examples of important Russian anthropological work. As such, the book will be of great interest not just to Russian specialists, but also to anthropologists more widely, and to all those interested in the way academic study is related to prevailing political and social conditions.

Contemporary Russia is often viewed as a centralised regime based in Moscow, with dependent provinces, made subservient by Putin's policies limiting regional autonomy.

This book compares and contrasts Georgiäs First Republic, which lasted from 1918 until suppressed by Bolshevik Soviet forces in 1921, with the present Georgian Republic, which gained its independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

A postcommunist condition has arisen from the fall of the Berlin Wall and later the Soviet Empire: this book looks at how this condition has manifested itself globally in the production of post-communist film. It argues post-communism is a shared experience on a geopolitical level, unlimited by national state borders, and examines postcommunist cross culturalism and global totalitarianism within film.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese migration to the countries of the former Soviet bloc ¿ Russia, Eastern Europe and countries of Central Asia ¿ exploring how the migration has come about, discussing the motivation of the migrants and examining the significant contribution the migrants are making.

Explores the religion and world outlook of the Telengits of Altai. This book provides an account of the Altai, its peoples, clans and political structures, focusing particularly on the Telengits, whilst also considering the different elements of religious belief exhibited among these native peoples.