Abstract: Social Distinctions in Contemporary Russia: Waiting for the Middle Class Society?Aadne Aasland (NIBR, Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, Oslo Metropolitan University) reviews Social Distinctions in Contemporary Russia: Waiting for the Middle Class Society? edited by Jouko Nikula and Mikhail Chernysh (Routledge, 2020).
Ingmar Oldberg reviews In the North, the East and West Meet. Festschrift for Jens Petter Nielsen, edited by Kari Aga Myklebost and Stian Bones. This book contains 26 articles in Norwegian, English and Russian, starting with a good presentation of Professor Nielsen's life and career. In keeping with his interests, the well annotated articles cover several themes; the centenary of the Russian revolution, Norwegian-Russian relations since the Middle Ages, especially in the High North, Russian arts, and scientific cooperation. The book is beautifully illustrated.
Abstract in English: The Orthodox Legacy: Perspectives on Russia's Theological TraditionCaroline Serck-Hanssen reviews The Orthodox Legacy: Perspectives on Russia's Theological Tradition by Sten Hartung. The book is a broad exploration of the history and theology of Russian Orthodoxy.
Moderne ortodokse kirker har blivit både inaktuell och ohyggligt aktuell i och med den ryska invasionen av Ukraina 24 februari 2022, då frågor om olika ortodoxa samhörigheter kommit i fokus. Volymen består nio kapitel och behandlar nästan samtliga stora ortodoxa kyrkor i världen och många centrala frågor som nationalism, jurisdiktion, teologi och gudstjänstutövning. Boken är pålitlig när det gäller fakta, författarna är eminent kunniga, men den kan ibland bli en smula svårläst i all sin faktarikedom. The volume has become both outdated and eerily topical after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, as issues concerning various Eastern Orthodox affiliations have come into focus. This nine-chapter volume deals with almost all major Orthodox Churches in the world, and takes up such central questions such as nationalism, jurisdiction, theology and worship. The book is a reliable source of information, and the authors are eminently competent, but the sheer mass of facts presented can make it somewhat difficult to read.
Abstract: Russia's operationalization of a sphere of interest in the South CaucasusA central foreign policy objective of Russia is to maintain an exclusive sphere of interest in its post-Soviet neighbourhood. This article analyses how Russia employs a combination of political and military instruments in operationalizing its perceived sphere of interest in the still conflict-ridden South Caucasus. Russia is the only external power in the region to have military bases there, and is the only one seemingly ready to undertake military action. At present, Russia appears satisfied with the status quo in the South Caucasus. The unresolved conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh are therefore unlikely to be resolved in the near future. Unresolved conflicts suit Russia's objectives. Russian military bases in Georgia and Armenia provide Moscow with both a key lever against Tbilisi and Yerevan and a structural advantage for potential Russian military operations in the region. Russia's military posture in the Caucasus is relevant to the potential for large-scale conflict in the Southern war theatre, including the wider Middle East, and not just local conflicts in the Caucasus.
