ABSTRACT
This chapter first examines interpretations of soft power as an analytical concept. It then claims that the way soft power is conceptually understood and practically implemented by Moscow significantly differs from the corresponding Western practices. The chapter finds out how Russia's soft power works in the South Caucasus. Soft power is always relational and contextual, and its success directly depends upon its inscription into the fabric of international society. This reveals a crucial distinction between power in a realist interpretation and in social constructivism. Realists would say that power is the capacity to make others act against their real interests. Moscow tends to reduce the rich variety of soft-power meanings down to one-sided demonstrations of the nation's grandeur by a blend of PR-style of nation-branding techniques and propaganda. The chapter also reviews a number of the most important elements in Russian soft power, including educational and religious institutions, governmental agencies and policy foundations.
