The Institute of Russian Studies was established as part of the Russia-2062 project – Kommersant

Participants and founders project “Russia-2062”, entrepreneurs and public figures Boris Akimov and Oleg Stepanov announced the establishment of the Institute of Russian Studies (IRI) – an expert platform within which “progressive ideas for the future economy, culture, social order, ecology, settlement system, education, etc.” The IRI is established “with the financial support of entrepreneurs who share the values ​​of Russia-2062 and create the IRI Board of Trustees.”

“In the very recent past, Oleg Stepanov published almost a manifesto about the Russian Club, which we must contrast with the Club of Rome,” explains Boris Akimov. “And in January 2024 (and this is the future in relation to the time of publication of the article), “Russia-2062” announces the creation of the Institute of Russian Studies (IRI ), the prototype of which was the same Russian Club from the article of the recent past.”

The creators of the IRI emphasize that they would like to find “practical solutions that would avoid a neoliberal catastrophe.” “We often repeat words about the humanitarian sovereignty of Russia, which is more important than any other,” says Boris Akimov. “Russia has more than once found itself in, to put it mildly, a difficult situation (both in 1917 and 1991) not because of economic, technological or political reasons ( although this is also important). But the main reason for those disasters is the fascination of a significant part of Russian society with Western ideas and ideals. The task of the Institute of Russian Studies is to formulate ideas and ideals, on the one hand, born of Russian life itself, Russian history, and on the other, not archaic, but aimed at the future. As the philosopher Vladimir Solovyov bequeathed to us: progress is when we take the past and carry it into the future. We have something positive in a deep conceptual sense to show both to ourselves and to the whole world.”

IRI promotes “not just humanitarian reflections on a given topic,” the creators insist: “We are going to, with the help of colleagues, economists, mathematicians, sociologists, architects, urbanists, ecologists, philosophers, historians, anthropologists, etc., explore very specific phenomena of Russian life and thoughts, to respond to the challenges of the time and to offer Russia, and the world, a path for the sustainable development of human civilization.”

How reported Kommersant, the Russia-2062 platform was conceived and created in 2022. In March 2023, its participants performed with a proposal to reform the content of the public holiday June 12 – Russia Day, dedicated to the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR as part of the Soviet Union (June 12, 1990).

Ivan Tyazhlov