ABSTRACT
Modernisation of Russia is a topic that has drawn attention from scholars in many fields. Regardless of which type of modernisation we are paying attention to, one can differentiate four approaches to its manifestation: (1) what is done for it, (2) what is really happening, (3) how people speak of it and (4) what people think of it. These approaches are closely intertwined. When a person in power speaks about the need of modernisation, it does not necessarily mean that something will really happen. When certain actions are taken they may have no influence on people’s lives or they may cause unintended consequences. In addition, modernisation may advance without special rhetoric on it. And finally, when a person in power speaks of modernisation, it does not necessarily mean that he or she thinks that it must be realised; there may be other reasons for using such terminology.
