Mythologization, Revisionism, and Historical Populism in the Ideology of Putinism

Abstract

An important part of the state ideology in the Russian Federation, known as Putinism, are traditional and new (Putinist) historical myths. The cult of the past and heroes and traditional values as interpreted and narrated by the power camp have become an integral part of state propaganda in terms of historical populism. Putin’s Russia combines historical revisionism in its colloquial sense with revisionism in international relations. The Russian version of history is also used by Putin’s dictatorship to legitimize power and consolidate Russian society (a collectivist-authoritarian community) and the empire-state. Failure to account for the crimes of the communist regime promotes the freezing of Russians’ historical memory and allows the government to pursue aggressive domestic and international policies. To this end, as part of its historical and educational policy, the authorities introduce a single history textbook, imposing a common (state) version of history.