The Image of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Russian Press During the Sanction Pressure on the Country, 1992–1995

Abstract

Many studies have recently focused on the tragic events in the Balkans from 1991 to 1995. The Yugoslav crisis researchers examined various aspects of the crisis, including its causes, stages, and consequences, as well as Russia’s Yugoslav policy at the time. Nevertheless, neither domestic nor foreign authors have provided in-depth coverage of the Yugoslav crisis in the Russian press. The issue of the “image of the other”, particularly in crisis situations, has taken on a wide range of, often asymmetrical, configurations, and it is becoming increasingly relevant for preserving humanity’s long-term development. Examining it can help one gain a better understanding of the media’s role as the most important communicator in interethnic dialogue. In this paper, we will examine articles from four Russian newspapers with opposing political views, namely “Pravda”, “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”, and “Izvestia” on international sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia at the time, and the country’s situation between 1992 and 1995. We will examine its perspectives on the sanctions, its causes, and consequences. Journalists from four Russian newspapers reported on events in the Balkans in the first half of the 1990s, analyzed the consequences of international sanctions and took into account important factors of the Yugoslav crisis such as the role of the Western countries in the conflict, Slobodan Milošević's political ambitions, and etc. Some journalists have taken an openly pro-Serbian stance, criticizing not only the US and Western European policies towards Belgrade, but also the “inactivity” of the Russian diplomacy, although the majority of them have showed restraint in their assessments of the Balkans situation. They portrayed Yugoslavia as an isolated country by informing their readers about the reasons for imposing sanctions, its nature, and Western policy toward it.