Regime Ideology of Putinism in the Light of the War in Ukraine

In this talk, I delve into the complexities of post-Soviet ideological evolution within the framework of Russian political philosophy. I content that overlooking ideological underpinnings of the political regime of Putinism weakens our understanding of it and dims its role as a formidable challenger to liberal democracy. In the presentation, I will lay out the argument about the ideological identity of “Putinism” and reasons for its popularity among the population and outside of Russia. While it incorporates elements of conservatism, nationalism, fascism, and populism, Putinism transcends these labels, forming a new and relatively original ideology with a potential to outlive Putin himself. Critiquing Western-driven globalization, engaging with issues of justice and environmental sustainability, and co-opting aspects of leftist ideology, Putinism possesses a versatility that grants it international appeal and relevance beyond the borders of Russia.

Mikhail Suslov is Associate Professor of Russian Politics and History at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen. His areas of expertise include Russian and East European intellectual history, political philosophy, history of utopianism and science fiction, and history of politicized religious and geopolitical ideas. His publications include Geopolitical Imagination: Ideology and Utopia in Post-Soviet Russia (2020) and Putinism – Contemporary Russian Regime Ideology (Routledge, 2024). Among his many edited books are The Post-Soviet Politics of Utopia: Language, Fiction and Fantasy in Modern Russia (with Per-Arne Bodin) (2019), Contemporary Russian Conservatism: Problems, Paradoxes, and Perspectives (with Dmitry Uzlaner) (2019) and Pan-Slavism and Slavophilia in Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe: Origins, Manifestations and Functions (with Marek Čejka and Vladimir Đorđević) (2023).