ABSTRACT
The history of communication as a field and as a discipline in Russia is often viewed as the development of different communication domains. This chapter considers the evolution of public relations education as one of the branches of communication in post-Soviet Russia. The chapter raises the question how the legacy of the Soviet Union and the inclusion of Russia in the global context shape the current state of the public relations industry and public relations education. Due to Soviet ideological patterns and the country’s social-cultural and economic evolution, institutionalization of post-Soviet public relations seems to support the logic of “path-dependence”. The history of Russian public relations education and research is predominantly driven by the influence of the United States and some European countries. Greater convergence with the latter is partly determined by the similarity in the value systems of these countries and the fact that Russia has been a country-participant of the Bologna Process. Therefore, both the historical legacy and global context have had an impact on the institutionalization of public relations as an academic field in post-Soviet Russia. Today, the identity of the Russian public relations department is most clearly manifested in the establishment of an integrated degree program that combines advertising and public relations. The Russian degree’s eclectic nature, the needs of the public relations industry, and historical context are a promising foundation for the development of integrated communications.
