The Myth of a Russia Besieged by "Cults": From Ivan Ilyin to the Russian FECRIS’ Campaigns Against Scientology
Emphatic references in Vladimir Putin’s speeches to Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, who died in exile in 1954, led Western scholars to ask the question why the Russian President celebrates a thinker who, while a critic of Hitler, defined himself as a fascist and admired Mussolini, Franco, and Salaza...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
The journal of CESNUR
Year: 2023, Volume: 7, Issue: 6, Pages: 19-33 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Emphatic references in Vladimir Putin’s speeches to Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, who died in exile in 1954, led Western scholars to ask the question why the Russian President celebrates a thinker who, while a critic of Hitler, defined himself as a fascist and admired Mussolini, Franco, and Salazar. The paper argues than, rather than his fascism, what attracts Putin in Ilyin’s thought is the idea of Russia as a victim nation besieged by the West through the propaganda of democracy and homosexuality—and “cults.” With the difference that for Ilyin the quintessential “cult” was Anthroposophy, this narrative is similar to the campaigns against Scientology of what was until 2023 the Russian branch of the European anti-cult federation FECRIS. In both cases, it is alleged that a foreign power (Germany for Ilyin, the United States for the Russian FECRIS) tries to destroy the Russian soul and to excite anti-Russian feelings in Ukraine by using as its agent a “cult,” or more than one. For Ilyin, Germany used Anthroposophy, while for the Russian FECRIS the United States mobilizes Scientology against Russia. |
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| ISSN: | 2532-2990 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of CESNUR
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.26338/tjoc.2023.7.6.2 |
