ABSTRACT
The third chapter presents a summary of the Russian tradition of messianism. The origins (Moscow as the Third Rome), manifestations of mission and concepts related to the sense of mission (e.g. the “Russian idea,” the “national idea” or Sonderweg) are discussed. The historical development of messianic themes is analysed from the perspective of the types of mission roles assigned to Russia by its intellectuals from the 19th century to the beginning of the 21st century. This view illustrates the historical continuity of this narrative, which – by linking the past, present and future – is an important source of ontological security. Additionally, the Russian tradition of messianism is put in a comparative perspective (the cases of Britain, the United States, China, India and Poland are referenced). The main mission motifs in contemporary Russian public discourse are also presented, as is the place of the mission narrative amid other narratives present in the (also historical) Russian foreign policy discourse.
