Constructing a regional and ethnic identity: some problems dealt with the new cultural practices in Russia’s regions

Abstract

The author claims that the interest of modern scholars to studying the processes of cultural transformation in post-Soviet Russia is caused by the fact that the formation and development of democratic institutions and market relations lead to denationalization, decentralization, and deideologization of the economy. This results in appearing new social institutions, forms and practices. The new cultural industries or forms of cultural production have achieved a definite status in the economy, so they are of interest for researchers trying to analyze their social and practical role. Today it is clear that it is impossible to propose a valid strategy of the national development without studying the problems dealt with ethnicity. In modern Russia there has been gained an experience of constructing new regional and national identities. An analysis of this experience (these practices) belonging to the national entities of the Russian Federation is given in this article.