Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union Russians had to search for a new identity. This was viewed as an urgent task by ethnic Russian nationalists, who were dreaming of a ‘pure Russian country’, or at least of the privileged status of ethnic Russians within the Russian state. To mobilise peopl...

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Main Author: Victor Shnirelman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2014-12-01
Series:Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/158
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author Victor Shnirelman
author_facet Victor Shnirelman
author_sort Victor Shnirelman
collection DOAJ
description After the disintegration of the Soviet Union Russians had to search for a new identity. This was viewed as an urgent task by ethnic Russian nationalists, who were dreaming of a ‘pure Russian country’, or at least of the privileged status of ethnic Russians within the Russian state. To mobilise people they picked up the obsolete Aryan myth rooted in both occult teachings and Nazi ideology and practice. I will analyse the main features of the contemporary Russian Aryan myth developed by radical Russian intellectuals. While rejecting medieval and more recent Russian history as one of oppression implemented by ‘aliens’, the advocates of the Aryan myth are searching for a Golden Age in earlier epochs. They divide history into two periods: initially the great Aryan civilisation and civilising activity successfully developed throughout the world, after which a period of decline began. An agent of this decline is identified as the Jews, or ‘Semites’, who deprived the Aryans of their great achievements and pushed them northwards. The Aryans are identified as the Slavs or Russians, who suffer from alien treachery and misdeeds. The myth seeks to replace former Marxism with racism and contributes to contemporary xenophobia.
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spelling doaj-art-b2cdecbe2f3f43fdafbca25679f3a6a02025-02-02T20:55:19ZengSciendoJournal of Ethnology and Folkloristics1736-65182228-09872014-12-0182121138112Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical NationalistsVictor Shnirelman0Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of SciencesAfter the disintegration of the Soviet Union Russians had to search for a new identity. This was viewed as an urgent task by ethnic Russian nationalists, who were dreaming of a ‘pure Russian country’, or at least of the privileged status of ethnic Russians within the Russian state. To mobilise people they picked up the obsolete Aryan myth rooted in both occult teachings and Nazi ideology and practice. I will analyse the main features of the contemporary Russian Aryan myth developed by radical Russian intellectuals. While rejecting medieval and more recent Russian history as one of oppression implemented by ‘aliens’, the advocates of the Aryan myth are searching for a Golden Age in earlier epochs. They divide history into two periods: initially the great Aryan civilisation and civilising activity successfully developed throughout the world, after which a period of decline began. An agent of this decline is identified as the Jews, or ‘Semites’, who deprived the Aryans of their great achievements and pushed them northwards. The Aryans are identified as the Slavs or Russians, who suffer from alien treachery and misdeeds. The myth seeks to replace former Marxism with racism and contributes to contemporary xenophobia.https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/158Russiausable pastthe Aryan mythradical ideologiesracismanti-Semitism
spellingShingle Victor Shnirelman
Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
Russia
usable past
the Aryan myth
radical ideologies
racism
anti-Semitism
title Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
title_full Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
title_fullStr Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
title_full_unstemmed Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
title_short Hyperborea: The Arctic Myth of Contemporary Russian Radical Nationalists
title_sort hyperborea the arctic myth of contemporary russian radical nationalists
topic Russia
usable past
the Aryan myth
radical ideologies
racism
anti-Semitism
url https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/158
work_keys_str_mv AT victorshnirelman hyperboreathearcticmythofcontemporaryrussianradicalnationalists