Regional identity politics: The image of St. Petersburg in the discourse of regional leaders

Abstract

The article is devoted to the issues of studying the processes of constructing regional identity. The existence of a consistent, logical and conceptual uniform regional identity policy is the basis for the implementation of a number of key tasks required for the stable development of a region. Definitions of such categories as “identity”, “identity policy” and “regional identity” are provided. The author adheres to the position of social constructivism, detailing the main points of this methodology. The article also provides a brief overview of empirical research on the relevant topic. One popular trend among Russian scientists is the analysis of discursive practices in the context of studying the features of symbolic politics at both the national and regional levels. In the empirical part of the work, the author attempted to identify symbolic grounds for the reconstruction of the image of St. Petersburg and the image of the community by using discourse analysis of public speeches by the regional governors. The author identified typical fragments of discourse that form the continuity of the declared image of St. Petersburg and its inhabitants. Regional identity politics in St. Petersburg has the same problems as at the national level. On the one hand, it offers an innovative image of the city’s future that is oriented towards European values (“comfort”, “high quality of life”), and on the other hand, the authorities actively promote symbols of the Soviet past.