Russian Society at the Beginning of the 20th and Early 21-St Centuries: Problems and Risks
The article deals with the major problems and risks of Russian society in early 20th, as well as 21-st centuries. The author shows that the social crisis and 1917 revolution were caused primarily by the alienation of the elite from the citizens and by loss of communications between them, as well as by the public distrust to power, absence of ideology acceptable for majority of the population, and the ideological and political split of the educated social groups. The prime threats and development risks faced by modern Russian society are determined by large-scale social and political shifts generated by transition to a new technological and social paradigm. Moreover, significant risks arise from the erosion of national and cultural identities, by destructed unity of society, its value system, traditions and social norms. The author outlines three vectors of social and political activity in modern Russian society represented by various social actors. These actors barely interact with each other, creating a threat of social destabilization. It is concluded that successful adaptation to the profound changes requires to combine traditions and values that form the cultural features of a given society with social innovations. This combination ensures a successful and dynamic development of such countries as China, South Korea, Singapore, India and a number of other.