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From: Stephen Shenfield <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: new book on Russian fascism
Date: 05 January 2001 20:38
NEW BOOK ON RUSSIAN FASCISM
The post-Soviet period has seen a substantial growth of fascist tendencies
and organizations in Russia. Up until now the literature on this subject
available in English has been limited to a few articles in newspapers and
scholarly journals and chapters in books on the broader topic of Russian
nationalism.
The first book devoted specifically to contemporary Russian fascism is the
one that I have written. It is being published this month (January 2001) by
M. E. Sharpe Publishers of New York under the title "Russian Fascism:
Traditions, Tendencies, and Movements."
The first two chapters of the book provide conceptual and historical
background. Chapter 1 presents my attempt to clarify what fascism means,
both in general and in the Russian context. Chapter 2 tackles the question:
Does Russia have a fascist cultural and intellectual tradition?
The book examines two kinds of movements in post-Soviet Russia -- those
movements that are clearly fascist in nature, and those movements that are
not fully fascist but do contain within themselves significant fascist wings
or tendencies.
Chapters 3 and 4 assess fascist tendencies within the broader Russian
nationalist (so-called "patriotic") movement, within the Communist Party of
the Russian Federation, within the Russian Orthodox Church, within the
Cossack revival movement, and within certain youth subcultures (such as
skinheads, rock and soccer fans).
Chapter 5 looks at Vladimir Zhirinovsky and his Liberal-Democratic Party of
Russia. Chapter 6 is devoted to Alexander Barkashov and the Russian National
Unity, which until its recent split was the largest unequivocally fascist
organization in Russia. (The split is described in the Afterword.) Chapter 7
is about the National-Bolshevik Party and the two men who created it -- the
philosopher Alexander Dugin and the writer Eduard Limonov. Chapter 8 gives
briefer accounts of several other fascist or near-fascist organizations, and
Chapter 9 provides a comparative overview of fascist movements in Russia.
My general conclusion is that Russian fascism remains very far from taking
power, but that it should not be dismissed as an insignificant and marginal
phenomenon. It exerts some real influence on Russian society and politics,
especially in those regions of the country where it is most firmly
entrenched.
I hope that my book will be of use to those interested in Russian
nationalism, and I would welcome feedback from other scholars. I realize
that the price set by the publishers ($66.95), though not unusually high for
a big academic book nowadays, will be beyond the means of many of those with
an interest in the subject. If you cannot afford the book yourself, perhaps
you could persuade some library or organization to which you belong to order
it.
Stephen D. Shenfield <[log in to unmask]>
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