Journal of Social Sciences of Mus Alparslan University

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze how Russia has operationalized Russian culture in its relations with the African continent from the 18th century to the present within the framework of cultural and historical sociology. The article focuses on language, art, science, religion, anti-Western values, multipolarity understanding, expansionism, military and weapons, nationalism, racism and the search for origins as the main Russian cultural fields that are operationalized in relations with Africa. The data were collected by the literature review technique of the qualitative research method. The findings were obtained by descriptive analysis of the data in the context of cultural and institutional power relations. Firstly; it is given a brief history of the contacts between Russia and Africa and how scientific research on Africa was shaped in Russia during these contacts. Secondly; the roles and functions of Russian art, literature and cinema in Russia-Africa relations are analyzed. As the third; the Orthodox Christian faith and the functions of the Orthodox Church in Africa, which are also stamped as the Russian faith, are determined. In this context, the relations between the Orthodox faith in the African continent and the Orthodoxy in Russia are examined. Fourthly; it examines how anti-Western values and understanding of multipolarity affect Russia’s relations with Africa. Fifthly; the functions of the ideology of Slavism, a mixture of nationalism and racism, and the search for the origin of the Slavs in the African continent, in the relations of the Russians with the Africans are analyzed. Due to the limited number of sociological studies on the subject, the article is important in terms of contributing to the relevant literature.