Russian Exceptionalism? Messianic Narratives of Great Powers in a Comparative Perspective

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s talking about Russia’s "special" role in world affairs, many commentators point to Russian immanent messianism. The story of the chosen nation pursuing a special mission in the world is not unique in world history. However, each nation tells their messianic story differently. Alicja Curanović argues that the status of a country- as defined by its normative underpinnings rather than its material foundation- can help explain why national mission narratives differ from one another. Whether a country is normatively “established,” “aspiring,” or a “loser” comes through in the content of its mission narrative, and in the role mission narratives play in a country's foreign policy. Curanović highlights the connection between mission narrative and status by comparing Russia's current discourse with messianic traditions of other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and Poland. Through Curanović's original perspective on mission narratives' role in politics, this discussion will explore how Russia’s anxiety about its status on the global stage triggers messianic arguments in the public discourse.
Speaker:
Dr. Alicja Curanović is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw. She holds a PhD in political science. Her main research interests include Russian foreign policy; religious factors in international relations; and identity, status, and messianism in politics. She has conducted research at Harvard University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Helsinki, the Russian State University for Humanistic Studies and MGIMO. Her articles have appeared in "International Relations," "Problems of Post-Communism," “Politics and Religion,” “Nationalities Papers” and “Religion, State and Society.” Her latest monograph is “The Sense of Mission in Russian Foreign Policy: Destined for Greatness!” (Routledge 2021).
Moderator:
Dr. Marlene Laruelle is a Director and Research Professor at the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES). At IERES, she is also Director of the Illiberalism Studies Program, Co-Director of PONARS (Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia), and Director of GW's Central Asia Program. She teaches courses in Populism & Illiberalism, the Rise of the Far Right, Politics of the Post-Soviet Space, Nationalism and Nationbuilding in Eurasia, and Central Asian Politics, and leads the Democracy Studies specialization of the MA in International Affairs. Dr. Laruelle received her Ph.D. in history at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures and her habilitation in political science at Sciences-Po in Paris. She is Senior Associate Scholar at the French Institute for International Relations.