Left conservatism in Russia: origins and relevance

The article examines such a paradoxical political position as left-wing conservatism. The purpose of the study is to identify the essence, historical roots and relevance of the phenomenon of left—wing conservatism in the Russian ideological and political space. As a methodological basis, the historical and genetic method is used, which is aimed at identifying the origin and stages of the development of ideas of left conservatism, and the comparative method, which is one of the key tools for identifying the specifics and evolution of the phenomenon of left conservatism in Russia. The author believes that in Russia the origins of this phenomenon can be found in the XIX–XX centuries. First, we are talking about the philosophy of the Slavophiles, for whom the peasant community was the model of social justice, and autocracy was perceived as a guarantee of social harmony. Secondly, it is appropriate to recall the worldview of the Narodniks with their faith in the peasant community as the basis of a future just system and the conservative idealization of the "soil." Thirdly, we are talking about Smenovekhovstvo, a trend whose supporters called for recognizing Soviet power and finding a "third way" for Russia in the new historical conditions. Fourthly, it is important to recall the Eurasianism of the 1920s and 1930s, in which there was simultaneously a conservative protest against Western liberalism and globalism, and a leftist protest against social inequality. The theoretical significance of the article lies in the fact that the author demonstrates the limitations of the traditional linear scale "left-right". Its practical significance lies in the fact that, by revealing the mechanisms of combining the demand for social justice with the values of tradition and statehood, it helps to understand the reasons for the stability of certain public attitudes in Russia. The author of the article concludes that in modern Russia, the key elements of the ideology of left—wing conservatism are the dominant framework for most significant political forces, and on a global scale, this ideological position is a reaction to the split created by the neoliberal "wokism" that has prevailed since the end of the 20th century.