Russian nationalism: creating a civic identity

A shared sense of identity within a state is a stabilising structure allowing a focus for citizens to rally around. As a multi-ethnic state, Russia has always been faced with the problem of how to imbue its citizens with a sense of identity that strengthens the state without causing dissent among the majority ethnic Russians or the many differenct minorities encapsulated within its territory. The choice between a civic based identity and an ethnically based national identity has faced the ruling apparatus for hundreds of years, and still poses a problem for both the people and the government of today's Russia