Separatism: World Experience and Russian Realities

DOI:

Received:

Published:

Abstract: The concept of “separatism” is widely interpreted in modern political and legal practice. This concept implies: raising claims of self-determination of the parts of state territories and their subsequent separation and independence (secessionism); the use of illegal (power) control methods for expansion of autonomous, federal, confederal rights. In some cases, the separatist movement(s) may operate in neighboring countries, speaking for the union with a neighboring country or a part of it (irredentism). Separatist movements create political parties, usually of nationalistic or military (terrorist) formation and, if possible, a kind of “government in exile.” Separatist movements today are gaining momentum around the world. Currently, they are a global ethno-political problem. Separatism has the separation of a certain area of the multi-national state and the creation of its independent nation-state formation as its main task. In the modern world the destructive effect of separatism applies to virtually all states. It performs in several guises: as a phenomenon inherent to multinational and multi-religious states, and as a way to translate the geopolitical interests of the leading world powers into reality. In the latter case, the goal is the structural transformation of the existing world order.

Keywords: