Construction of the Identity of Russia’s Muslim Regions in the Context of the Emerging All-Russian Identity

Abstract

A problem for researchers of modern Russian society is the relationship between the identity of the regions, conditionally called Muslim by the author, with the all-Russian identity. The actualization of the problem of the all-Russian identity in the context of the aggravation of the geopolitical and civilizational conflict between Russia and the collective West leads to the need to analyze the contribution to the reproduction of this identity of various confessions, ethno-national groups, including Muslim regions. Despite a large amount of research, the role of Muslim regions in the formation of a common Russian identity is a highly debatable issue. The purpose of the study is to determine the role of Islam in the formation of regional and all-Russian identity. The study was conducted on the basis of a systematic approach, discourse analysis, narrative approach and social constructivism. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the ruling elites in a number of regions use Islam along with the ethnic factor as a resource legitimizing their power in relations with the federal center and their own population, constructing a regional identity in the context of the socialization and politicization of Islam. The results obtained contribute to the development of ideas about the role of Islam in the formation of an all-Russian identity and to clarify the process of development of federalism in a multinational and multi-confessional Russian society.