Исаев Леонид Маркович

Transformation of Narrative Representation of Russia among Youth in West Africa

2025 · ARTICLE · en

Western mainstream media narratives about Russia affect the perception of youth in West Africa regarding Russia as a global role player. The research is based on a synthesis and integration of scholarly studies, as well as newspapers and reports from selected Western media outlets. A broad literature review was first conducted to understand the body of knowledge on Western media narratives and their effects on people’s perceptions of Russia. A narrative matrix was used as the main approach to map out the narratives about Russia, and thematic analysis was finally employed to identify the themes and sub-themes from the media narratives to examine how these narratives affect youth perceptions of Russia as a global player. The study identifies three competing narratives: the first is the dominant narrative in Western media, which describes Russia negatively in terms of its imperial interests. The second is the counter-narrative from several scholars, global South media outlets, dissenting politicians, and individuals who assert that NATO’s expansion to the east threatens Russia’s security and is the cause of the recent geopolitical crisis. The last is the alternative narrative, which assumes that Africans see Russia as a potential ally for mutually beneficial cooperation, despite the recent geopolitical crisis. The article concludes that the counter and alternative narratives have been marginalized and overshadowed by the dominant narratives propagated by Western media, which tend to shape youth perceptions of Russia as a negative global player, especially regarding narratives about the crisis in Ukraine

A Troubled Return to the Homeland: Syrian Circassians in Southern Russia

2024 · ARTICLE · en

The humanitarian crisis in Syria has fuelled the Circassian issue in Russia. Escaping from the war, hundreds of Syrian Circassians (Adyghe) chose Russia as their destination because their ancestors came to the Middle East from the North Caucasus. Syrian Circassians have faced difficulties in entering Russia and staying there regardless of the state’s ability to accept a large number of immigrants. In the case of receiving Syrian Adyghe, Russian authorities were suspicious about: (1) growing Circassian activism before the Olympics in Sochi; (2) ISIS infiltration; and (3) ethnic tensions in the Southern regions. Nevertheless, many Syrian Circassians settled in Russia due to the support extended by local Adyghe. Our findings are based on interviews and public polls conducted in Karachay-Cherkessia in 2017 and Adygea in 2018.

Terrorism and Political Contention. New Perspectives on North Africa and the Sahel Region

2024 · BOOK · en

Against the backdrop of terrorist activity and the emergence of new conflicts in the MENA region, this book identifies factors of political contestation and analyzes organizational forms and dynamics of terrorism and conflict in North Africa and the Sahel. Written by an international selection of authors from different fields, the book covers topics such as the radicalization of terrorist organizations operating in the region, the financing of terrorism, the role of migration, the radicalization of women, the influence and motives of great powers and external factors such as France in the region, and the impact of the war in Ukraine. The book appeals to scholars and students of politics and international relations as well as African and Middle Eastern studies.

Coupvolution as a Mechanism of Regime Change in the Sahel

2024 · CHAPTER · en

Revolutionary History of Niger: From Independence to 2023 Coup

2024 · CHAPTER · en

Introduction: Terrorism and Political Contention in North Africa and the Sahel Region

2024 · CHAPTER · en

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Non-beverage alcohol consumption in Russia: new evidence from Jewish Autonomous Oblast

2024 · ARTICLE · en

Aims. Previous studies in Izhevsk, Novosibirsk and Kazan have found that non-beverage alcohol takes huge part in alcohol consumption in Russia. Whereas those places are relatively well-doing cities, there is no studies about such problem in the most depressive regions of Russia. The aim of this study was to investigate correlates or factors associated with nonbeverage alcohol consumption in eastern Russian regions on the example of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and to assess effectiveness of implemented in Russia policies to control consumption of non-beverage alcohol. Methods. A survey of adults in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia was performed on workdays to assess non-beverage drinking patterns in summer 2022. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic status and alcohol use, including non-beverage alcohol consumption and drinking patterns. We use logistic regression for identifying risk factors of consuming non-beverages. Results. Firstly, about 30% of individuals suffering from alcohol problems drink non-beverage alcohol. Secondly, those who regularly consume non-beverage alcohol compared with those who chronically drink legal strong alcohol are on average more likely to experience the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Thirdly, income and marriage are the main factors that have a significant negative association with surrogate alcohol consumption, and age shows a curvilinear relationship. Conclusions. New anti-surrogate policy in Russia with the increase of the minimum price to pharmacy alcohol and strict enforcement of existing restrictions on the sale of non-beverage alcohol, which could further gain a foothold on the alcohol market in Russia with a drop in real incomes of the population, is needed.

Миротворчество в многополярном мире

2024 · BOOK · ru

Коллективная монография посвящена международному миротворчеству в контексте формирования многополярного мира. Представлены как западные (конвенциональные), так и формирующиеся незападные подходы, что особенно актуально в контексте кризиса либерального миротворчества. Исследована миротворческая деятельность РФ, КНР, Ирана, ФРГ, Японии и других стран, а также усилия международных организаций (ООН, ОАЕ, Афросоюз, АСЕАН), религиозная дипломатия. В фокусе внимания миротворчество в Африке, а также урегулирование конфликтов на постсоветском пространстве, в Латинской Америке, ЮВА, в Афганистане. Для магистров и аспирантов-международников, экспертов по международной безопасности, гражданского, военного и полицейского персонала миротворческих операций.

Дискурс о неоколониализме как элемент внешнеполитической идентичности России в Африке

2024 · ARTICLE · ru

Статья затрагивает вопросы неоколониализма, в частности контекст, в котором данная проблема освещается в рамках российской официальной внешней политики. Статья дает представление о возникновении и современном понимании концепта неоколониализма в рамках политической науки. Авторы применяют метод контент-анализа выступлений, заявлений и статей российских официальных лиц, в которых имеются упоминания неоколониализма и борьбы с ним на африканском континенте. Показано, что нарратив неоколониализма занимает достаточно важное место в формировании Российской Федерацией своей внешнеполитической идентичности как форма выстраивания дискурсивного диалога со странами Запада. Особенностями российского дискурса о неоколониализме выступают направленность на проблемы в сферах экономики и безопасности, а также некоторая абстрактность применительно к конкретным формам и проявлениям неоколониализма в африканских странах.

Operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria in the Official Russian Discourse

2024 · ARTICLE · en

In this article, we analyze how the operation of the Russian Aerospace forces is presented in the official Russian discourse. The analysis is based on a collected database of statements made by the Russian authorities. Relying on social identity theory, we argue that the Russian operation in Syria became a key element in changing the Russian strategy in the Middle East. In other words, beginning in the mid-2010s, Russian policy in the Middle East moved from social competition to social creativity. Taking the Russian operation in Syria as an example, we assert that the second half of 2017 was a turning point because the military narration of the discourse was replaced at that point with the narration of the unique role of Russia in the regulation of the Syrian conflict. This narration included narratives related to ‘sovereignty’, ‘territorial integrity’, and the creation of alternative platforms to maintain stability.