Russia as Civilization-State: New Methodological Projections in Representing the Course in Russian History

The author substantiates the necessity of transitioning from the evolutionist-modernization paradigm to the civilizational approach in representing the course in Russian history, while correlating this shift with the state and societal demand for strengthening sovereignty and a unified identity. The methodological framework of the study is revealed through the comparison of the core content of the current course in history with the fundamental principles of civilizational theory and their logical projections onto Russian historical material. The author traces the formation of the civilizational discourse in contemporary Russia at the state level and its reflection in educational processes. The author also proposes a set of methodological recommendations related to the transition to examining Russian history through the prism of characterizing Russia as a civilization-state. Recommendations are provided for introducing corresponding adjustments in: the representation of state genesis, the identification of the driving forces of Russian history, historical periodization, assessment of reforms, the determination of the nature of social crises, explanation of external conflicts, and the role of ideology and identity systems. The practical result of the research lies in outlining guidelines for updating school and university courses in Russian history within the unified framework of a civilizational approach.