The "Great Power" Concept in Russian and Soviet Public Discourses, 1900s – Mid-1930s”

The current study explores the history of the “great power” concept in Russian and Soviet public discourses. In Russian, this concept appeared in the second half of the 18th century, but it fully integrated in the language (both the diplomatic and public contexts) only in the 19th century. By the beginning of the 20th century, the concept had stabilized, acquired certain attributes. Having a symbolic nature, the concept was a certain status of the state, which played a role not only in foreign affairs, but also in domestic ones. This concept did not disappear after revolutions in 1917 and was incorporated in the new political system. Therefore, this paper aims to present how the “great power” concept was resemantized in the new political and ideological realities. This research raised the following research questions: How did the “great power” concept manifested itself and functioned in public discourse, from the beginning of the 20th century to the mid-1930s? How did the concept function in relation to Russia and other countries in Russian / Soviet public discourses? What differences from the imperial period exist, or, on the contrary, what is common? The source data of the current study includes published (newspapers, magazines, manifests, diplomatic papers) and archival sources. The public discourses of the Russian Empire and the early Soviet state are the core of this research. Therefore, public documents here form the base, and diplomatic and private sources act as auxiliary. One of the main results of the study is that the concept was completely appropriated by the Soviet authorities, and partially rethought in the frame of the new ideology. The concept remained in the political narrative and played an important role in the domestic and foreign representations of the state.