Kremlinology

Kremlinology is the study and analysis of the politics and policies of the Soviet Union[1] while Sovietology is the study of politics and policies of both the Soviet Union and former communist states more generally.[2][failed verification] These two terms were synonymous until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In an extended usage, Kremlinology is sometimes used to mean any attempt to understand a secretive organization or process, such as plans for upcoming products or events, by interpreting indirect clues.[3]

The founder of Kremlinology is considered to be Alexander Zinoviev.[4][5] The term is named after the Kremlin, the seat of the former Soviet government. Kremlinologist refers to academic, media, and commentary experts who specialize in the study of Kremlinology. The term is sometimes sweepingly used to describe Western scholars who specialized in Russian law, although the correct term is simply Russian law scholar. Sovietologists or Kremlinologists should also be distinguished from transitologists, scholars who study legal, economic and social transitions from communism to market capitalism.

  1. ^ ""Kremlinology" definition". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved 16 February 2015. Definition of KREMLINOLOGY: the study of the policies and practices of the former Soviet government
  2. ^ ""Sovietology" definition". thefreedictionary.com. The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  3. ^ Armstrong, Charles K. (February 1999). "[Review of the book] North Korea after Kim Il Sung. Edited by Dae-Sook Suh and Chae-Jin Lee". The Journal of Asian Studies. 58 (1): 224–225. doi:10.2307/2658450. JSTOR 2658450. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ^ Yury Solodukhin (2009). "The Logical Doctrine of Alexander Zinoviev" (Alexander Alexandrovich Zinoviev). Moscow: ROSSPEN. pp. 133–152.
  5. ^ Karl Kantor (2009). "The Logical Sociology of Alexander Zinoviev as a Social Philosophy" (in Russian).