PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY DOCUMENTS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Russia has rediscovered public diplomacy as a way to reestablish its international presence and boost its reputation. Disillusioned by Western policies of coercive democratization, Russian public diplomacy has developed its own approach to international audiences. This paper examines how Russia seeks to change the opinions of Western experts and the general public. This will be described as a context for analyzing Russian public diplomacy in National Security Documents, including what its aims, players, and tools are, how they are reflected in the Russian "Foreign Policy Concept," and how they are perceived and implemented in the Russian case