Modern Russian historiography on pan-Turkism: Issues, narratives and research perspectives

The article critically examines contemporary Russian historiography on Pan-Turkism from 2000 to 2024, identifying key thematic clusters, methodological trends, and unresolved debates. Through a combination of bibliometric analysis and qualitative content evaluation, the study reveals a marked increase in scholarly output after 2015, closely tied to fluctuations in Russo-Turkish relations. The analysis distinguishes three dominant interpretive frameworks: securitization narratives framing Pan-Turkism as a geopolitical threat, cultural-historical approaches emphasizing identity formation, and policy-oriented studies analyzing Turkey's regional influence. Methodologically, the field remains divided between traditional diplomatic history and emerging interdisciplinary perspectives, with only limited engagement with digital humanities or postcolonial theory. A persistent tension is observed between essentialist interpretations reproducing imperial security discourses and more nuanced studies deconstructing the “Turkic world” concept. The article highlights significant regional asymmetries–while Volga-Ural and Crimean case studies abound, Central Asian perspectives remain underrepresented. The conclusion outlines promising research directions, including comparative studies of Turkic identity politics, critical reassessment of archival narratives, and analysis of digital media's role in Pan-Turkic mobilization. This meta-analysis contributes to broader discussions about decolonizing Eurasian studies and the evolving relationship between academic production and foreign policy discourses in post-Soviet scholarship.