Conspiracy narratives in Russia: A search for identity, religious worldviews, and Russian politics

Conspiracy thinking plays an important role in Russian culture. Contemporary Russian conspiracism inherits elements of the Cold War rhetoric, French anti-Freemasonic literature, ideas of conservative Russian Orthodox thinkers and North American Christian writers. In today's Russia we see two distinct, although interconnected, types of conspiracy narratives-official and popular. Official narratives, which can be seen as a component of the new Russian ideology and civil religion, promote a patriotic sentiment in order to consolidate the nation and solidify political hierarchy through a sharp distinction between "traditional values" and the "depraved West." Popular conspiracy narratives share similar characteristics but lean towards a thorough disbelief in institutions. From this perspective, elites worldwide, including Russia, participate in the conspiracy of governments and corporations. Because of this attitude, popular conspiracy narratives often conflict with official rhetoric even if at times official and popular narratives seem aligned.