Main Currents of Putinism: The Slavophile Crusaders
Messianic delusions, sense of predestination, “theophoric nation”, advent of the millenium, these chiliastic Slavophile themes permeate the Putinist bellicose political religion. Russian pristine values are inherently superior to the Western crass materialism. Zhana Bichevskaya's song "My ruskye" (Мы - русские , We - Russians) appeals to deep emotions. Once upon a time, she was an iconic figure of Russian country music, widely regarded as part of the liberal intellgenstia. In the 1990s, she morphed into a died-in-the-wool Russia nationalist and became a major voice for the monarchist Right. The song is telltale in that it sums up the dominant myth about Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus being an unbreakable Imperial Whole. A geopolitical diamond. It brings to mind philosopher Ivan Ilyin, a Fascist thinker who did inspire Putin's philosophical ruminations as shown by Timothy Snyder in his "Road to Unfreedom."
In the Russian TV miniseries "Trotsky," there is a scene in which Ilyin talks to the theorist of World Revolution. Theater and film megastar Konstantin Khabensky plays Trotsky. He's arguably the most admired Russian actor alive. In a way, a Vyacheslav Tikhonov redux. Tikhonov was teenager Putin's favorite actor. The same was said about Putin and Khabensky until the nvasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In the mini-series Trotsky intervenes, at the request of his son Lev Sedov, a former student of Ilyin's at the Moscow University, to permit Ilyin to leave Soviet Russia on one of the famous "philosophers' steamships.” Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico City in August 1940. Ilyin passed away in Switzerland in 1954. Putin arranged for bringing his earthly remains to Russia and participated in the reburial religious ceremony.