What does the Russia of the future look like?
If Vladimir Putin has his way, Ukraine and Belarus will be an inalienable part of his empire in the future.
And Putin himself is the sole ruler of the only country in the world that supposedly respects the true values of humanity.
And that's why Russia has long been attacked by the West, who want to infiltrate and destroy this upright nation - so goes the legend.
But you are strong enough not to let yourself be diverted from the right path, is the motto from Moscow.
This is how Putin sets his country and people apart from the rest of the world, gives them a unique position and an almost sacred mission to their actions.
sense of superiority
For years, Russian propaganda of Putin and his cronies has cultivated this sense of superiority.
At the same time, Putin's Russia feels inferior to the West, particularly, according to Putin's argument, for failing to prevent the collapse of the Soviet Union, thereby allowing Ukraine's independence.
"You can tell that Russia is looking for a new target and hasn't found one yet," says Christina Neef, who has reported for decades as a correspondent in Moscow, as deputy head of SPIEGEL's foreign department and as an author who follows current developments.
"And I think you can tell from Putin's very erratic policy at the moment that even he is taking a prudent approach and is always trying something out, but the big picture has only existed on paper so far and still needs to be shaped."
more on the subject
Putin's war rhetoric: In the future Russia there will be no more room for different opinions An essay by Christian Neef
War in Eastern Europe: Putin's ApocalypseBy Christian Neef
Putin's mouthpiece: How a Kremlin propagandist justifies Russia's war of aggression in UkraineBy Christian Neef
In this episode of the foreign podcast »Eight Billion«, Christian Neef explores the question of what the Russia of the future could look like.
And why in Vladimir Putin's control state the word "revolution" suddenly plays such a big role in the tracts that underpin Putin's propaganda.
“This concept of revolution is divided into two.
On the one hand it is related to the external world.
It is believed that the post-Soviet epoch, an epoch of ambiguity, is finally coming to an end.
And that people are trying again to find Russia's historical place in the world," explains Christian Neef.
“The second point is that this requires a revolution inside the country, that is, in Russia.
And that, interestingly enough, refers to the intelligentsia, to the elite.
There is an opinion that the current elite is not reliable, as happened again and again with Stalin in 30 years
'.
But it may not be Stalin that Putin is trying to emulate, says Christian Neef.
Another role model from Russian history would be more appropriate: Ivan IV, who was the first prince to be crowned tsar of Moscow and significantly expanded the territory of the Russian Empire during his reign in the 17th century.
Every child today knows his nickname: Ivan the Terrible.
Listen to the current episode here:
