“Motorola” and “Givi” – heroes and saints of the “Russian world”: an idealisation and sacralisation in the context of Aleksandr Dugin’s neo-imperial ideology

Abstract

Russian propaganda related to the conflict in Donbass aims to present this region in the cultural, spiritual, axiological, and religious aspects as an inseparable part of the so-called “Russian world” (русский мир), understood as the Russian civilisation community. An important element of the ideological policy of Russia towards Donbass are the attempts to create the image of the “Russian hero”. The article is devoted to the heroisation and sacralisation of the best-known pro-Russian militants in Donbass: Arsen Pavlov (“Motorola”) and Mikhail Tolstykh (“Givi”). The nationalist views of Aleksandr Dugin, one of the most influential Russian neo-imperialist intellectuals, provide an interesting context for interpretation of the ideological background and consequences of Pavlov’s and Tolstykh’s heroisation. Firstly, the article presents Pavlov’s and Tolstykh’s biographies. Secondly, it discusses the ideological aspect of the conflict in Donbass. Thirdly, in this context, it shows the manifestations of Pavlov’s and Tolstykh’s heroisation as well as its social, political, and ideological significance.