Peculiarities of the formation of the ideology and policy of nationalism in post-Soviet states

The article examines the peculiarities of the formation of the ideology and policy of nationalism in post-Soviet states. The appeal to nationalism in them is connected with the fact that after the collapse of the USSR it was necessary to replace the communist ideology with a new one, which would determine the guidelines for the construction of a national state, its mission in world history, its place in the system of regional and international relations. The ideology of nationalism was the best suited for solving these problems. It turned out to be in demand under the influence of globalization, which covered the whole world, including the post-Soviet space. Under its influence, the unification of development took place, the identity of national states and the peoples living in them was eroded, their sovereignty was limited. The response to these processes was nationalism, which elevated the interests of the national state and nation to the absolute. The appeal to nationalism in post-Soviet states was also connected with the fact that they were not ready to accept the ideology of liberalism. Traditionalist societies with their inherent system of views rejected the basic postulates of liberalism. Therefore, the ideology of nationalism became dominant in all post-Soviet states. The author identifies several common features in the ideology and politics of nationalism in post- Soviet states.This is an attempt to prove the historical continuity of the existence of post-Soviet states, which was allegedly artificially interrupted by the colonial policy of first tsarist and then Soviet Russia. The past is universally glorified and mythologized. In many post-Soviet states, the justification and legitimacy of the state borders that they received after the collapse of the USSR are questioned. The need to revise them is justified by references to historical law. They widely hold views according to which they should be created within ethnic boundaries and include all those border territories in which representatives of a given ethnic group live compactly. The construction of national states requires the affirmation of the influence of the national language as the main marker of the nation in political, economic and cultural life, which in practice means the displacement of the Russian language from these spheres, and accordingly Russian culture, which were dominant during the years of the Soviet Union. This leads to tension in relations between the national state and the Russian population. At present, nationalism in the post-Soviet space acts as a powerful political force, consolidating the social energy of the nation to build statehood. With its help, the nation can overcome the enormous trials that befall it, achieve success in the field of economy, culture, and social life. Therefore, nationalism in the post-Soviet states today acts as a synonym for progress and democracy.But at the same time, there are many examples when nationalism manifested itself as a reactionary force, aggressively acting towards other nations and states. In the form in which the ideology and policy of nationalism in the post-Soviet states has developed, it plays the role of an important factor in the modernization of these states, in the transition from a traditional society, traditionalism to a new postmodern society and state. The general democratic content of the ideology of nationalism and the political practice based on it in these states has not yet been exhausted. But other manifestations of nationalism are also obvious, which have nothing in common with democracy, and which preserve established traditionalist relations, backward views on the organization of socio-political and social life. The article notes that the formation of independent national states in the post-Soviet space is an integral part of the pan-European process of the emergence of such states, which appeared in Europe in the 19th century and continues to this day. The growth of nationalism as an ideology and policy is a natural and inevitable phenomenon in the course of state building in the post-Soviet space. The process of building independent national states in the post-Soviet space will stretch over a long historical period, and therefore the ideology and policy of nationalism will determine the development of the region for a long time.