On Historical Mission of Russia in the Context of a Civilizational Approach

   Aim. To analyze the concepts and ideas of the civilizational approach relevant to the contemporary geopolitical situation, to identify through them the specifics of relations between Russia and Europe, the place and role of our country in the general context of world history.

   Methodology. The study consistently examines the following problematic aspects of the civilizational approach: the potential of the concept of “cultural-historical type” as a tool for structuring world history; the worldview position of eurocentrism, its negative impact on Russia, which caused the “disease of Europeanization”; the specific features of the Slavic cultural-historical type; the definition of the historical mission of Russia in the context of the civilizational conception of N. Ya. Danilevsky. The main methods used in the study are historical and logical, comparative and structural, as well as methods of analogy and abstraction.

   Results. The study identifies and analyzes the concepts and ideas of the civilizational approach that correspond to the model of a multipolar world relevant to nowadays. Using as an example N. Ya. Danilevsky’s work “Russia and Europe”, the work highlights those of them that can be the worldview orientations for determining the vector of Russia’s development, its place and role in the general context of world history. These include non-identity of Russia and Europe; specifics of Russia as a special cultural-historical type; potential for its future self-realization within the framework of the formation of the “all-Slavic union”; importance of the “eastern question”; rejection of eurocentrism with related overcoming of the “disease of europeanization”, etc.

   Research implications. The theoretical significance of the study is related to the attempt to project the basic concepts and ideas of the civilizational approach to the modern geopolitical situation, to consider through their prism a number of existentially significant problems for our country, including the problem of relations between Russia and Europe. The practical significance of the study is due to the fact that its ideas and conclusions can be used as a basis for the regulation of intractable geopolitical conflicts, constructing an equitable system of international relations based on the principles of multipolarity and multiculturalism, with recognition of the special historical mission in this process of modern Russia.

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