Nation-Building and Common Values in Russia

Vladimir Putin has explicitly based his nation-building initiatives on the assumption that there exists a vast pool of common values in Russia that cut across ethnic and regional divides. <I>Nation-Building and Common Values in Russia</I> explores whether Putin is correct in his assumption and to what degree a commonality of values among the citizens of a country is a crucial element in the establishment of a common identity among them. The study raises two basic questions: Which values are actually common among various groups in Russia's population? And which nation-building strategies are the Russian authorities actually pursuing centrally and locally? Sociological and political approaches to the study of nation-building and national cohesion in Russia are employed to answer these questions and the findings contribute to a better understanding of nation-building processes in post-Communist Russia in general and of Putin's strategies in particular.