Mobilizing the Past: Gender Politics and Neo-Traditionalism in Russia

This paper analyzes neotraditionalist ideology and its role in re/defining gender identities in contemporary Russia. Government officials, the Orthodox Christian church, various public organizations, and public figures construct and use this ideology that relies on strict and rigid “traditional” gender norms. For example, this ideology was prominent in justifying the infamous Russian anti-gay legislation passed by the State Duma in 2013. Neo-traditionalism is also prominent in discussions of domestic violence problem, gender equality, and other public debates. In this paper, I look at public construction of this gender neo-traditionalism as it shapes the shifting landscape of gender politics in Russia.