The Boundaries of Russian Civilization at the beginning of the 21th Century

The fluidity of the boundaries of Russian civilization during the last 20 years is a typical picture of disintegrating empires. Several ' grey areas', which we could earlier relate to the spheres of influence of Russia, more definitely tie themselves with the West (Western Ukraine, although ecclesiastically belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate; Orthodox Moldova; Georgia.). On the other hand, the obvious process of the manipulative weakening of Russia is finished, which means that in the future such a quick shifting of the boundaries of civilization will not be noticed. A serious influence on the course of history, it is true, may be caused by ethnic processes, however they may manifest themselves only after 2 to 3 decades. The territories of Russian civilization may be conditionally broken into several groups: territories with an orientation exclusively with Russia (Crimea, Pridnestovye, and Southern Ossetia), stable territories (Belarus and Eastern Ukraine), territories of Russian civilization for which the problem of self-identification is a priority (Abkhasia and the Carpathian region of the Ukraine).