Authors

Discussion

The complex terrain of civil society in post-Soviet Russia is represented by various ideologies, mainly following into two categories – ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative.’ The present research takes a broad ‘liberal’ project as a starting point to explore what narratives constitute it. By adopting an educational perspective, this study employs a hermeneutic approach to uncover subjective perspectives of civic non-formal educational actors who constitute the 'liberal' project. Reflexive interviews with 10 participants were analysed and coded, drawing on the hermeneutic circle, and four narratives emerged. The results showed that to promote ‘liberal’ through education, these actors employ historical and cultural discourses to legitimise their existence and explain the current status quo. They also reconsider their relations with the global (transnational) hegemonic project, promoting a democratic stand and critiquing the neoliberal economic dimension. As a means of struggle for hegemony, they tried to reimagine educational practice to enhance its ‘radical’ potential, i.e., the potential for social change. Finally, the intrinsic inequality emerged within this diverse terrain, at least from the spatial perspective. Further research on these diverse groups can contribute to our understanding of liberal ideology promotion within Russian society.