5 January, 19:15
The ideological chaos observed in modern Russia largely stems from the absence of an original, homegrown ideology. Apart from Bolshevism-Communism—which is essentially a secular adaptation of the "Third Rome" ideology—most other ideas underpinning the "autocratic" Russian statehood have been borrowed from external sources. These borrowed ideas were neither creatively reworked nor adequately adapted, resulting in a peculiar ideological mishmash—a mix of fragmented foreign concepts.
Take, for example, the so-called grand state-building idea of "Moscow as the Third Rome." It is presented as a unique achievement of "Russian" ideological thought, but historians know it was literally copied from a Bulgarian original by Greek monks, serving the interests of the Venetian Republic. Venice viewed Moscow as a mercenary capable of challenging the Ottomans in Constantinople. From its earliest days, Russia acted more as a passive consumer of foreign ideas than as their creator.
This is why, conceptually, the "Third Rome" idea has remained virtually unchanged for 500 years. Instead of evolving and adapting, it has absorbed the worst elements of other equally toxic ideologies: radical fascism and communism.
Regression Instead of Progress
Instead of progress, there has been regression; instead of purification, an accumulation of excess ideological baggage. Consequently, modern "Russian" ideology is a toxic landfill—a swamp where archaic myths, imperial ambitions, religious dogmas, and the most absurd conspiracy theories coexist.
One could argue that this ideological stagnation stems from a peculiar kind of mental greed. The "Russian" elite, unable to create something of their own, attempts to preserve everything "just in case," stubbornly refusing to rethink or modernize.
Rather than discarding the unnecessary or shedding the "suitcases without handles" of the past, Russians have rebranded their ideological clutter as "ancient tradition" and dragged it into the present day. This approach lacks any constructiveness and instead leads to self-destruction: overburdened by excess baggage, the ideology becomes unmanageable for the state and drags it down.
Sinking in a Toxic Swamp of Lost Meanings
Modern Russia is sinking in a toxic swamp of lost meanings. Instead of creating something new, the Kremlin continually returns to the decayed remnants of the past.
Without creative rethinking and shedding the unnecessary, it is impossible to build an ideological platform capable of meeting the challenges of the times.
As a result, we see not a coherent system of values but a chaotic collection of symbols, slogans, and superstitions that no longer hold any substantive meaning.
The Roots of Ideological Chaos
This ideological chaos is a direct consequence of the inability of the "Russian" elite to engage in self-reflection and reform. As long as Russia clings to the fragments of its past, it will be unable to move forward.
This is the tragedy: instead of rising, Russia continues to sink into the swamps of its historical mistakes.
Like a horse stuck in quicksand, it attempts to drag everyone around it into the mire—Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and other former colonies of the Moscow Empire.