Region-culture as an element of the state-civilization system

Abstract

The article examines the notion of the region-culture as an integral component of the state-civilization system, with the Russian Federation serving as a case of study. The author utilizes the civilizational approach (S. Huntington, A. Toynbee) and offers a critique of O. Spengler’s pessimistic perspective, contending that Russian civilization is founded not on unification but on the synthesis of the numerous unique cultural worlds of its constituent groups. The civilizationalist approach is often associated with accusations of primordialism and reification. The term «region-culture» is proposed to counter these accusations by emphasizing the processual nature of cultural development and its political significance for the sustainability of civilization as a whole. The author employs the pentabasis model as a methodological instrument to analyze region-culture. The Republic of Tatarstan serves as a region-culture that exemplifies this model, illustrating how it allows for a harmonious blend of regional identity and pan-Russian civic values.