RUSSIAN SOFT POWER: ORIGINS, INSTITUTIONS, EFFECTIVENESS

Purpose: The paper examines conceptual and institutional aspects ofRussia’s soft power strategy over the last decade.Methodology: research is made on the basis of the institutional approach which requires the analysis of both configuration and internal structure of the object. The study of an institution’s behavior and its interaction with the external environment is an integral part of this approach as well.Results: The sources of Moscow's interest in the soft power strategy are explained. Various methods, techniques and institutional mechanisms that are used by Moscow to exercise its soft power in its geopolitical neighborhood are explored. The effectiveness of Russia’s soft power politics is evaluated.Practical implications: the results of this research can be taken into consideration by the Russian governmental agencies responsible for the soft power strategies (e.g. the Rossotrudnichestvo and ‘Russian world’)