Routledge Russian Public Diplomacy: From USSR to the Russian Federation (Innovations in International Affairs)

Public diplomacy is widely used in the contemporary world, and this book is devoted to its use and study in Russia. It explores how, even though scientific diplomacy and people's diplomacy were used in the USSR, the ideas of public diplomacy were not in demand in Russia in the 1990s. However, following the United States, which turned to the policy after the tragic events of 9/11, Russia also began to develop its own. The author explores how the need for public diplomacy is reflected in the official documents of the Russian Federation and discusses the important step of building new institutions for this purpose in Russia. She analyzes how the development of the practice has led to its study, with Russian scholars focusing mainly on the tools and approaches of implementing public diplomacy by various states. The book discusses the relationship between public diplomacy and soft power and compares Russian approaches with those available in worldwide practice and theory. This book is intended primarily for students and researchers of international affairs specializing in Russian foreign policy and/or soft power issues. It will also be of interest to practitioners in public diplomacy, such as ministers of foreign affairs, NGOs, and the media. Review "This book allows you to understand the differences in the means at influencing foreign audiences. An analysis of Russian practice and Russian research in the field of public diplomacy, it contributes to the understanding of both the research area of public diplomacy itself and Russian foreign policy." ― Tatiana A. Alekseeva, Professor and Chair of the Political Theory Department at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO –University), Honored Scholar of the Russian Federation "This is a pioneering work, discussing the soft power aspects of the Russian foreign policy. While most of the existing studies concentrate on the formal instruments of the Soviet/Russian foreign policy, the authors discuss the role of public diplomacy and informal foreign policy instruments. Considering the quickly changing international political and technological environment, this approach makes the book highly relevant and interesting from both the academic and practical points of view." ― Andrei V. Korobkov, Professor and Director of the Russian Studies Minor at Middle Tennessee State University, USA About the Author Marina M. Lebedeva is Professor and Head of the World Politics Department at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University), Russia. Her research interests include world politics; conflict management, negotiations, and public diplomacy; and education in the field of IR.