INTRODUCTION: CULTURAL BIOPOLITICS IN RUSSIA

This paper is the introduction to a cluster of articles on Cultural Biopolitics in Russia. After providing an overview of biopolitical theory and its recent applications to the study of Russian history and politics, the author introduces the notion of cultural biopolitics as a theoretical bridge between biopolitical theory and cultural studies. Culture is conceived as a realm of soft power in which biopolitical rationalities are reinforced or challanged. Given its many historical entanglements with power, Russian culture in particular provides a rich field of inquiry for scholars of modern biopolitics. The introduction concludes with short summaries of each of the articles in the cluster, which are divided into two categories: Biopolitics of Writing and (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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This paper introduces the concept of Cultural Biopolitics in Russia, bridging the gap between biopolitical theory and cultural studies. It explores culture as a field of soft power where biopolitical rationalities are reinforced or challenged. Russian culture, with its historical entanglements with power, offers a rich field of inquiry for scholars of modern biopolitics.