The „Yellow Peril” Syndrome in Contemporary Russia

Abstract

The „Yellow Peril” syndrome, defined as a complex of fears from the expansion and domination of representatives of the yellow race, felt and expressed by the white people indentifying themselves with the Western civilization, has been a widespread phenomenon in the pre-revolutionary Russia. Today, the syndrome has returned and became a part of a mosaic of various collective phobias that aff ect the worldview of modern Russians. This paper examines the relationship between historical and contemporary “Yellow Peril,” It is important to analyze, which components of the contemporary syndrome has been restored, and which are completely new. Moreover, one should consider the origin of this new components. The impact of the “Yellow Peril” syndrome on the contemporary political life in Russia is also an interesting issue, especially in the context of the ongoing era of “eroding” borders.