“Serbian World” and “Russkiy Mir”: A Comparative Analysis of the Said Concepts

Ljubomirović Aleksandar (Centar za međunarodne odnose i održivi razvoj (CIRSD)), aleksljubomirovic@hotmail.com

Since the moment the term Serbian World entered broader public discourse, it has been continuously associated with the concept of Russkiy Mir. Therefore, this study adopts a comparative analytical approach, aiming to systematically examine both concepts in order to identify their similarities and differences. In addition, the research employs qualitative content analysis of selected public statements made by prominent societal actors in which comparisons between the Serbian concept and Russkiy Mir are explicitly drawn. This approach is particularly important for understanding the Serbian World and for placing it in the context of similar ideological constructs. Given that it represents a mental construct, the study also focuses on the processes of mental framing of the world, as interpreted primarily by non-Serbian, that is, regional political and academic elites, along with the broader processes of conceptualization of reality. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that it is primarily opponents of the concept who characterize the Serbian World as a borrowed idea modelled after its supposed Russian counterpart, with the intention of discrediting it in public discourse. These critics assume that the Serbian World carries territorial implications, imperial aspirations, and a tendency toward redrawing national borders. However, the research results indicate that despite certain similarities, the concept of the Serbian World was not modelled on Russkiy Mir, but constitutes an authentic idea grounded in the interests of the Serbian people and its political elites.

Keywords: Serbian world, Russkiy mir, concepts, Serbian and Russian nation, identity, diaspora, faith, Serbian and Russian Orthodox Church.