Manipulations of Public Consciousness in the Environmental Conflict on Kushtau

ABSTRACT The article describes the results of research on the civic protest in the Republic of Bashkortostan against the destruction of the limestone mountain top [shihan] at Kushtau, a world geological heritage site. The subject of the research is the manipulations of public consciousness during the environmental conflict and how they were overcome. The research is based on the theory of manipulation of public consciousness, which explains the achievement of a certain level of consent in society, as well as passive behavior in a situation of social conflict, through the use of manipulative methods in information policy. Diverse channels for the dissemination of information on the topic of Kushtau are analyzed by the author, identifying the application of manipulative methods. Materials in the mass information media and other information sources were analyzed to determine to what extent the images of the situation offered by various actors corresponded to the real state of affairs. The methods of the manipulations are systematized. Analysis includes data from in-depth interviews, which allowed determination of the level of awareness of persons who had originally come from Bashkortostan and were currently residing in other Russian regions about the problem of the industrial development of the Kushtau shihan. The civic movement in defense of Kushtau is examined to show how it overcame manipulative influences, which led to a decision by the authorities on saving the mountain and providing it with state protection.