Ethnic Resource in the Construction of Regional Identity by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan in Social Networks

Abstract

Social networks are an essential part of various political processes. They help to build mental models and control official public discourse. The article features the ethnic resource as part of the regional identity constructed by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on his Instagram. The analysis relied on both the subjective and regional presentation, as well as visual and content contexts. The author analyzed Instagram posts published in 2020-2022, as well as media publications on the issue of ethno-cultural positioning. The analysis included qualitative and quantitative content analyses, as well as static and comparative methods. Rustam Minnikhanov’s Instagram proved to be an informative source that made it possible to identify the priority attitudes to the local ethno-cultural issues in the official discourse. The ethno-cultural resource was especially important for the personal self-presentation. The regional positioning maintained a multi-ethnic Tatarstan identity, where the ethnic resource played an important role, which does not mean the real parity of the corresponding ethno-cultural traditions. The author believes that the ethno-cultural resource will continue to determine the socio-political climate in the region.