A. S. Makaryc ev Bücher

The book series „European Studies in the Caucasus” offers innovative perspectives on regional studies of the Caucasus. By embracing the South Caucasus as well as Turkey and Russia as the major regional powers, it moves away from a traditional viewpoint of European Studies that considers the countries of the region as objects of Europeanization. This first volume emphasizes the movements of ideas in both directions—from Europe to the Caucasus and from the Caucasus to Europe. This double-track frame illuminates new aspects of a variety of issues requiring reciprocity and intersubjectivity, including rivalries between different integration systems in the southern and eastern fringes of Europe, various dimensions of interaction between countries of the South Caucasus and the European Union in a situation of the ongoing conflict with Russia, and different ways of using European experiences for the sake of domestic reforms in the South Caucasus. Topics range from identities to foreign policies, and from memory politics to religion.

This issue explores the discursive gaps, tensions, and ruptures between Ukrainian and Russian narratives of national identity. It gives the floor to Russian and Ukrainian authors with a view to enabling analytical comparisons between the dominant narratives in the two countries and deepening our understanding of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

In post-Soviet Russian politics, Boris Nemtsov stands out as a tragic figure, notably due to his assassination at 56 near the Kremlin, with the shocking act captured on surveillance footage. This murder highlights a disturbing aspect of the current regime, which appears to condone extra-legal actions against perceived adversaries. This volume commemorates Nemtsov from various perspectives, featuring academic papers alongside personal reflections. The articles provide a spectrum of assessments from those who viewed him as a key player in post-Soviet politics and a significant figure in Russia’s transformation. Some contributors share firsthand experiences of Nizhny Novgorod during Nemtsov's governorship, enriching the discourse on his multifaceted political legacy. Contributors include prominent scholars and leaders from various institutions, such as David J. Kramer from the McCain Institute, Miguel Vázquez Liñán from Seville University, and Yulia Kurnyshova from the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, among others. Their diverse opinions reflect the complexity of Nemtsov's impact and the ongoing relevance of his legacy in contemporary discussions about Russian politics.

This book addresses Estonian, Ukrainian and Georgian identities which have developed against the backdrop of Russia’s neo-imperialist policies and the EU’s normative projection of power. With the decreasing explanatory value of the “post-Soviet” frame, the authors propose the concept of borderlands in order to bring together a group of countries located at the point where different cultural, religious, ethnic and civilisational trends and systems intersect. The authors argue that for borderland countries nation-building encompasses meaning-making strategies aimed at self-identification, consolidation and integration, along with strategies of adjusting to practical tools and mechanisms of governance generated and shared by Europe. Performative cultural and sports events, such as the 2012 UEFA European Championship in Lviv, the Song and Dance Festival in Tallinn in 2014 and the 2015 Youth Olympic Games in Tbilisi, are at the centre of each of these case studies.

This timely book offers a multifaceted analysis of EU-Russian relations, drawing on the investigation of competing models of international society. Makarychev argues that the huge variety of interest-based and normative models is best explained through the study of foreign policy and identity discourses. His approach defies simplistic explanations of EU-Russian relations as either destined for cooperation or doomed to constant collisions. Instead, Makarychev unveils multiple alternatives that both the EU and Russia face in their policies toward each other. Assessing the repercussions ongoing EU-Russian discord has on Europe and the world, Makarychev`s volume reveals the interconnectedness of the discourses dominating the EU and Russia while also accounting for the deep-seated disconnect between them.