Muzakaev, D.A. Europeanization of the Chechen culture as a part of process of modernization of the Chechen society in 1960s – 1980s

Abstract: Analysis of ethnic political processes in the Chechen republic allows to single out several stages in the development of the Chechen culture regarding various social and political conditions, the fi ght of the Chechen people for independence, protection of national culture and identity, formation of the Chechen Republic as a public formation within the Russian Federation. In this article the author analyzes the infl uence of the process of modernization of the Chechen society in 1960s – 1980s upon the development of national culture, which was coming closer to the general European culture. The vector of this development was aimed at the integration of the Chechen people into the general Russian social and cultural space. The contents of this transformation involved the changes guaranteeing institutional, cadres and content-based fundamentals of varied and rich cultural production based upon secular European tradition, which was the basis for the entire Soviet culture. In order to discuss this issue the author employed political science methods and approaches: the method of terminological analysis in order to reveal the nature of the terms, such as “traditional ethnic culture”, “national policy”, “ethnic cultural process”, “ethnic identity”, “Europeanization”. In order to reveal place and role of traditional ethnical culture in the life of the Chechen community and its Europeanization, the author used the method of theoretical analysis. The author draws a conclusion that step-by-step erosion of the Chechen culture cleared the path for wide range of cultural borrowing and external infl uences, which were refl ected in all of the spheres of life of the Chechen community, including its political sphere. The experience of the Chechen republic shows that high demand for the national culture has a positive infl uence upon the internal consolidation of the ethnical community, bringing additional sustainability to its spiritual, social and political life.

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