Unity in Diversity: The Founding of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation

This article looks at the role of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) in Russia's troubled democratization process. The author contends that post-Soviet Russian politics is plagued by a fundamental lack of consensus over regime choice issues. In this polarized setting of zero-sum politics, the KPRF has consolidated its position among anti-regime forces and can negatively impact Russia's transition to markets and democracy.

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Fascism and the New Russian Nationalism

Communist and Post-Communist Studies ◽

10.1016/s0967-067x(97)00025-1 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. James Gregor

Keyword(s):

Communist Party ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Italian Fascism ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Soviet Russia

This article provides a broad comparison between Italian Fascism and the new nationalism that has arisen in post-Soviet Russia. The focus is on that nationalism which has, in the immediate past, merged with what used to be the Marxism-Leninism of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The ideas of Gennadii Ziuganov, leader of the CPRF, are traced to Sergei Kurginian and Alexander Prokhanov-and compared to those of the ideologues of historic Fascism.

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Strength in diversity: multiple memories of the Soviet past in the Russian Communist Party (CPRF), 1993–2004

Nationalities Papers ◽

10.1080/00905992.2016.1231668 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 370-392

Author(s):

Antony Kalashnikov

Keyword(s):

Collective Memory ◽

Communist Party ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Public Organizations ◽

Historical Narratives ◽

The Public ◽

Ideological Differences ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

The Creation ◽

Soviet Experiment

This paper investigates collective memory of the Soviet experiment in the narratives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), in the period of 1993–2004. My research finds that ideological differences within the CPRF led to the creation of multiple and contrasting depictions of the Soviet past in the discourse of its leaders. Challenging dominant assumptions, I argue that these differences did not conflict and undermine one another, but were structured to strengthen the public appeal of the CPRF. The paper adds empirical findings to the study of the CPRF and of collective memory at the (so far underdeveloped) level of public organizations. The paper also challenges the prevailing assumption that diverging historical narratives necessarily imply conflict and contestation.

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