YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) College of Humanities and Social Sciences is pleased to announce a new publication by Dr. Jean-François Caron, associate professor and program chair of the Master of Public Affairs and Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy, in Current History. Published in the oldest U.S.-based journal dedicated to the study of world affairs, the article discusses the evolution of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political legitimacy.
According to Dr. Caron, while Putin’s early years in power were marked by an implicit bargain that exchanged economic stability for political passivity, recent years have seen the Kremlin attempt to replace this arrangement with an ideological project rooted in nationalism, traditional values, and civilizational conflict as a tool for mobilizing the Russian citizenry. Central to this effort has been the revival of Slavophilism, a 19th-century intellectual tradition that portrays Russia as the defender of Christian civilization against a morally decadent West. Yet evidence suggests that many Russians remain unconvinced.
According to this worldview, Russia is not merely a nation-state but a distinct civilization with a unique historical mission. Putin has increasingly framed international politics as a struggle between civilizations, presenting Russia as the guardian of traditional values while depicting Western societies as spiritually and morally corrupted. This rhetoric has become particularly prominent since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in 2022, which Kremlin officials have justified as a defensive and even “sacred” mission.
Despite these efforts, Dr. Caron argues that Putin’s ideological project has achieved only limited success. Military recruitment continues to rely heavily on financial incentives rather than patriotic enthusiasm, suggesting that Russians remain motivated primarily by material considerations. Public attitudes also reveal a significant gap between official rhetoric and social reality. Religious observance remains relatively low, while surveys consistently show that economic well-being, personal security, and consumption rank far above the defense of traditional values among citizens’ priorities. Moreover, many Russians continue to favor cultural and economic engagement with the West rather than confrontation. These trends suggest that the social foundations needed for a fully mobilized ideological state remain weak, meaning attempts to replace economic legitimacy with civilizational ideology may prove far more difficult than its architects anticipated.
The article contributes to broader discussions on Russia’s political and social transformation and the factors shaping its domestic and international outlook.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.