Moscow University Bulletin. Series 12. Political Science. 2017. 2.

This article presents an applied model for assessing political stability in the regions of the Russian Federation that was periodically used in practice during the period 2011–2016. The model assumes that a dangerous (critical) violation of the regional equilibrium, which is identifiable with stability, is observed in cases when regional structures of executive power (represented by the head of the region and his administration) lose control over five key resources: administrative, legal, economic, social, information and interpersonal. On the basis of the model under examination, the author offers some recommendations for improving regional policy in modern Russia and optimizing the administrative techniques used by state authority.

This article focuses on issues related to the study of the characteristics of the application of contemporary mass Internet communication technologies in order to create a virtual social and political reality. In the critical analysis of classical concepts of the Internet as a free space communication. It showcased the technology used in the processes of virtualization concepts of mass socio-political reality. As a result of research work concluded that the virtualization process of modern political management particularly vivid expression obtained in the Internet space in which was formed a powerful arsenal of tools and technology substitution of real objects, processes and phenomena of their distorted virtual models. Functional and semantic load in terms of coverage of virtualization and modern political space has been steadily transferred to the virtual space, which by virtue of its originally-designed publicity direct impact on the formation of mass political values, meanings, world views and understanding of the political reality. This formed the political representation in the majority of cases are significantly biased towards real political reality, however, they act as true for society.

This article investigates the structural bases of historical memory as a purposeful production of political mythologization. On the basis of a theoretical review of the concepts of collective and historical memory, the authors develop a methodology for describing the structural components and dynamics of a state’s historical politics that make it possible to identify the key myths used in building a political identity for the community and constructing a sociopolitical reality for the mythologem. The article demonstrates that the democratic institutions of modern states rely on the symbolic potential of political myth in the implementation of the discourse of legitimation based on the resource of history and collective memories inscribed in the mythscape of the national community. The authors further elaborate the experience of applying mythmaking in the structure of the symbolic policy of the state.

Siam (Thailand) is one of the few countries that retained its independence during the colonial period. This is largely due to the efforts of Siamese King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868–1910), who took serious diplomatic steps to neutralize the expansionist designs of France and Britain. In particular, he fostered the formation of a trusting relationship with the Tsarevich Grand Duke Nicholas, who became the Russian Emperor Nicholas II. During their two meetings — in Siam in 1891 and in 1897 in Russia — the two rulers stressed their “spiritual kinship.” Because of this, European countries were forced to negotiate with King Chulalongkorn as a monarch equal in status to European rulers, and the Russian government can be credited with assisting Siam in defending its independence.

This collective article examines the distinctive features of election campaigns in contemporary Russia using analytical research drawn from the Russian legislative elections of 2016 (the State Duma’s VII convocation); the authors also formulate practical recommendations for politicians participating in future electoral cycles. The necessity of creating effective tools for campaigning lead the authors to pay particular attention to developments in modern political science and to promising technologies that are currently not sufficiently used in Russia — particularly social networks, the problem-targeted approach, SWOT analysis and PEST analysis. The group’s research was presented at a political science department competition on the resolution of political cases held on May 16, 2016 by the department of political science at Lomonosov Moscow State Unversity.

A round table titled “Russian Society and State Authority after the Parliamentary Elections” was held at the end of October 2016 at Lomonosov Moscow State University; the event was jointly organized by the university’s Sociology and Psychology Program (Political Science Department), the Russian Political Science Society and the Center for Socio-Political Projects and Communications. At the round table leading experts from the fields of political science, sociology, psychology, history and journalism discussed the results of the latest Russian election campaign (for the State Duma’s VII convocation, 2016-2021); their influence on the development of the political process before Russia’s presidential election in 2018; and emerging trends in the public consciousness of the political elites and the citizenry of modern Russia.