Integration Policy in Northwestern Region of Russian Empire in Second Half of 19th — Early 20th Centuries

Abstract

The article examines the commemorative practices implemented by the Russian authorities in the Northwestern region at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, which were a key element of the integrative strategy of ‘soft power’. The formation of a memorial concept based on the idea of the ‘original Russian identity’ of the region and the ‘restoration’ of the lost unity with the core of Russia is analyzed. The article provides a detailed examination of the complex of memorial events associated with the commemoration of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Empress Catherine II, and Vilnius Governor-General M. N. Muravyov, whose activities were linked to the region’s integration into the Russian cultural and civilizational space. Special attention is given to the ideological foundations and intellectual support of anniversary celebrations aimed at asserting the dominant values of Russian political culture in the public sphere. It is concluded that these commemorative practices served as a significant element of symbolic politics by the authorities, aimed at affirming Russia’s moral right to govern and acculturate these territories based on Russian civilizational principles. It is noted that these events, which were part of the overall state memorial policy, were aimed at maintaining the official discourse in the Northwestern provinces, with the idea of ‘Russian cultural primacy’ as its foundation.