The Institutional Aspect of Identity Politics in the Metropolitan Agglomerations: Analysis of Legal Documents

Introduction. We are discussing the effectiveness of the project approach to political governance and the correctness of the chosen methods for implementing and evaluating public programs in different areas. In this article, we focus on the institutional aspect of regional identity politics to identify the basic symbolic grounds for the formation of the image of the “we”-community, which are used by the regional politicaladministrative elite in the official political discourse. Methods and materials. We assess identity politics as a political strategy characterized by specific goals and intended outcomes. Our method for analyzing state programs in the Saint Petersburg and Moscow metropolitan areas involved qualitative content analysis, enabling us to identify and consider the main narratives promoted by the political-administrative elite. The political-administrative elite employs these narratives to construct a collective “we” identity and establish a symbolic foundation for population cohesion. Special attention is paid to the issue of agglomeration development in the texts of state programs operating in the territory of megacities. Analysis. The article describes the main characteristics of the images of residents of agglomeration territories presented in state programs and development strategies. The documents devoted to Greater Moscow reflect the urbanistic vector of agglomeration development and vividly “draw” the image of the territory’s future. St. Petersburg authorities rely more on the cultural and historical heritage of the territory and the unique symbolic capital of the Northern Capital. Results. Based on the results of the study of agglomerations and the analysis of state programs, it can be stated that the problems of territorial development are raised in the framework of projects related to the transport and infrastructure development of the megacity and adjacent settlements. However, explicit political risks related to interethnic relations and problems of social integration are not given due attention in the official discourse. Authors’ contribution. S.K. Kalashnikova – research methodology, data collection. M.Ya. Pogodina – data analysis, comparative case analysis. Funding. The research was carried out at SPbSU with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation within the framework of the research project № 23-28-00933, “Identity politics in Russian agglomerations in the context of international experience.”