CONTRADICTIONS IN RUSSIAN POLITICAL CULTURE -IMAGINARY AND OBJECTIVE SPLITS
The fundamental message of the study is the idea of the ambivalent nature of the political culture in Russia. Throughout its history, it has been heterogeneous and highly polarized. At the same time, the state managed to enforce the unity of the Russian society. The article focuses on the main contradictions inherent to Russia’s present-day political culture. It is revealed that, despite the ideological and geopolitical claims, there is actually neither profound civilizational reflection nor serious reflections on the future in society. The authors share the opinion that a relative consolidation and consensus of the recent decades is being replaced by a value imbalance and a demand for change. In this regard, the question of correlation of individualism and collectivist principles is of a paramount importance. It is shown that the nature of this opposition roots back to the actual socio-cultural split of the Russian society into a group of urban middle class (“progressors”) and those who support traditional values and identity. It is concluded that it is necessary to search for a minimum set of common political values which can ensure a sustainable institutional order and modernization of the country