Remasculinization: Patriarchy in the Russian Political Tradition

Document Type

Presentation

Date of Original Version

3-27-2026

Abstract

This paper examines how the use of patriarchal ideology and state control over moral discourse functions as a tool of political power in Russia across the imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras. By tracing the endurance of patriarchal norms, Orthodox moral authority, and gendered state narratives, this analysis shows how political leaders and institutions repeatedly mobilize “traditional” hierarchies to legitimize governance and suppress dissent. Special attention is paid to the Putin regime, which fuses conservative nationalist discourse, Orthodox values, and remasculinized state symbolism to construct an authoritarian identity rooted in moral purity. I will be analyzing each section through the lenses and works of Timothy J. Colton and Richard Sakwa to situate the analysis within contemporary Russian political academia. Through legal reforms, discursive control, and the strategic narratives of cultural controversies (such as the prosecution of feminist punk collective Pussy Riot) the state deploys gendered rhetoric to consolidate power and frame geopolitical actions abroad as morally necessary. Understanding this continuum reveals how gendered and moralized narratives operate as ideological infrastructure for contemporary Russia’s unique brand of authoritarianism.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS