| Summary/Abstract |
The article examines the evolution of Russia’s soft power strategy over the
past twenty years. The author analyzes the goals the Russian leadership
set when starting this work, and shows that those goals were not limited to
improving the Russian image on the world stage. The following periodization
of Russia’s soft power evolution is proposed: the rise (2000-2007/2008),
institutionalization (2007/2008-2013/2014), and tightening (2013/2014-
till present). The article explores how Russian soft power changed during
these periods: what tools were used, what role formal and informal
institutions played, and what ideas and values were used as a foreign policy narrative. The analysis of the evolution of the Russian strategy allows us
to correlate different stages of its development with Joseph Nye’s concept,
as well as to show the intermediate and final results of its implementation.
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