The Political and Intellectual Currents Shaping Russian Identity and the Role of the Ruler in its Formulation

Abstract

This study examines the mechanisms of constructing Russian identity in Russian political thought as a product of sovereign will directed from the top down. It investigates how Russian rulers transformed this identity from an existential necessity during the early founding period under Ivan III into a complex ideological system by employing intellectual and political conflicts between Westernizers and Slavophiles. The study goes beyond description to analyze how these currents served as intellectual laboratories, providing the authorities with tools to reconcile Slavism and Westernization within a unified framework that strengthens state power, stability, and international standing. It concludes that the contemporary Russian model’s success in restoring its international position lies in adopting this integrative approach, which rejects radical alignment in favor of prudent reconciliation. Consequently, identity becomes an instrument of political decision-making, helping achieve national acceptance and consensus while safeguarding Russia’s national interests and stability within the international system.