The political mythology in the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine has been exploited to the fullest. In this way, extraordinary efforts have been made to justify Russia’s aggression, political pundit Igor Boțan, the permanent expert of IPN’s project, stated in the public debate “Political mythologies in history and in actuality”. According to him, Vladimir Putin’s regime currently has all the mythological tools at its disposal, which were very well elaborated. Personally, the President of the Russian Federation has passed, as mythology envisions, three stages in his evolution, from leader, friend of the people, after which leader-father, hero and now Vladimir Putin has reached the climax – the leader “with global pretensions to the role of savior of humanity which, due to neoliberal ideology, falls into a decadent abyss,” said the expert.
He noted that more than once, on the platform of debates, he spoke about the elaboration of the so-called concept of Vladimir Putin’s eternal state, which he presents as “the fourth link in the development of the Russian Empire which has a messianic purpose”. The myth that “Moscow is the third Rome and there will be no fourth” justifies so-called Russian messianism. According to official Russian mythology, the unity of the Russian people would consist of Velicorussians, Malorussians, Belarusians. The Ukrainians (Malorussians) would try to escape from this triad, for which they were labeled “anti-Russia: in an article published by Vladimir Putin, who anticipated the idea of abortion of Ukraine. Russian researchers are also seriously emphasizing the myth of the so-called “eternal liberator who brings only freedom to peoples,” although the realities are quite different.
Igor Boțan declared that the myth of the ideal society is the political myth promoted by the Bolsheviks. “After the Bolsheviks came to power, a new class appeared – the class of nomenklaturists who fully took over and individual freedoms were suppressed. A new class emerged which, in order to keep the population under control, had to apply the methods we call totalitarian. According to some of the historians, fascism was just a reaction to Bolshevism. It was the same attitude to power. The state was to be seen as a corporation in which both trade unions and parties and the working class and the management class are important. They must only cooperate, but, if they cannot cooperate, they need a Führer - the “leader” who would hold them together. We saw the consequences of these exaggerations that were competently used by people who have skills in this regard,” stated the expert.
The political analyst noted that experts in mythology must participate as often as possible in such debates so as to help the public understand that everything that happens in the public space has very deep roots and we, as a society, must clearly understand that the myths are absolutely important. Without them humanity, societies cannot exist. But with the developments taking place in society, we must make a very clear distinction between myths that are edifying and absolutely necessary, on the one hand, and the destructive myths that are exaggerations with serious consequences for society,” concluded the expert.
The public debate entitled “Political mythologies in history and in actuality” was the 35th installment of the series “Impact of the past on confidence and peace building processes”. IPN Agency carries out this project with the support of the German “Hanns Seidel” Foundation.
