The Socialization of Post-Soviet Elites and Russia's Regional Hegemony

During the Post-Cold War era, Moscow used various tools to secure its interests in the Post-Soviet space. Although Russia's status as one of the world's great powers might have been questioned in theory and practice since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its determining role as a regional power among former Soviet republics has remained unquestionable. Authors hold that the concept of "regional hegemony" can be applied to understand Russia's relations with its neighbors. The continuity of a regional power’s hegemony despite its decline in terms of material capabilities may lead us to explore the role of non-material factors. Given the fact that Russia's material power resources have been declining to different extents and can hardly be enough to ensure the continuity of its regional hegemony, the authors investigate non-material elements and indicators of Russia's power. Using the theory of "Socialization and Hegemonic Power" which underlines the role of subjective elements in preserving hegemony, as well a descriptive – analytical research method, the authors try to tell why the research findings provide an answer to the following question: Why has Russia's regional hegemony survived the gradual decline of its material power resources and independent-minded policies of some post-Soviet states? The main hypothesis of the study underlines the role of cultural resources of Russia's power in forming post-Soviet elites' mindsets and supplementing military and economic elements and as a result perpetuating Russia's hegemonic status.