| What is the perceptual geography of ordinary Russians? How do ordinary Russians view the borders of Russia and the territories of the Russian near abroad? How do these perceptions relate to Russians' sense of national identity? This dissertation research examines these questions through a country-wide, random survey in Russia. This project maps the perceptions of the Russian near abroad among ordinary Russians and establishes the bases of these perceptions. In doing so, the importance of various forms of Russian nationalisms in shaping territorial perception is assessed. The study extends geopolitical analysis to understand the geopolitical imaginations of ordinary people in relation to those of elites. While elites have often been the focus of study, little research in geography has concentrated on the visions of ordinary people in Russia.; This dissertation finds that the territorial visions of Russians can be classified into 'Western,' 'Slavic,' and 'Soviet' groups. The Westemizers do not imagine a 'Greater Russia' while the Slavic group favors a reunification with Ukraine and Belarus and the Soviet group sees Russia as the territorial whole of the Soviet Union. The study finds that the Western vision is supported by the young, affluent, educated and urban. The Slavic and Soviet groups are not distinguishable from one another in terms of socio-demographic support but rather form a single larger group of Eurasianists who tend to be older, religious and supportive of the Communists or right-wing Liberal Democratic Party.; The study extends the field of critical geopolitics by extending the analysis of geopolitical culture from elites and media to ordinary people. The geopolitical visions of Russians vary over income, gender, education, religiosity, age and political alignment. The geopolitical visions of ordinary people do not simply mimic the views of elites but are grounded in the realities of Russia's economic development and their own position within Russian society. |
