The problem of conceptual fundamentals of modern national policy of Russia (the historical background)

The first legal and conceptual documents of post-Soviet Russia in the sphere of ethno-national policy bore the stamp of eclecticism. The liberal understanding of the civil nation and the ethno-cultural interpretation of the nation were used at the same time. Such terminological mixture took place owing to historical features of formation of the USSR as a multinational state. During the post-Soviet period for the purpose of development of new ethno-national policy it was required to clear and detail some basic positions, such as concept of the Russian nation, a place and a role of the Russian people in the concept of national policy, new basic model of national policy. The urgent need in formation of the uniform nation within the Russian state was at the heart of the process of ideological and conceptual construction. From 1990s the understanding of the Russian nation as supra-ethnic community began to be formed. However resistance of the ethno-regional elite seeking to keep ethnic understanding of the nation slowed down fixing of the concept of the civil nation. Besides, the Russian question which consisted in searches of positive identity of the Russian people also was closely connected with understanding of the Russian nation. As a result of long-term discussions and also synthesis of practice of ethno-national policy of Russia in the 2000s, the government began to develop consensus on the matter. It was expressed in eclectic coexistence of understanding of the civil nation, ethno-national terminology, and also inclusion of an ethnic question in a context of the Eurasian concept with a key role of the Russian culture and the Eurasian values. Some delay in development of fundamentals of national policy can be explained with difficulties of the development of consensus statements and need in judgment of practice of ethno-national policy.