Russian academic and political circles demonstrate a lively interest regarding the problem of Russian foreign policy and identity. A range of studies has been published in Russia and abroad in the last several years on this important topic. Moreover, the government confirms the necessity of this research through constant financial support through the Russian Humanitarian Scientific Foundation. A long discourse on Russia’s constant search for itself and its place in the world has generated a number of widely used terms - “Lost generation”, “lost identity”, “vacuum of identity”. An inability to produce and apply a new approach without using old rhetoric influences Russian politics and keeps this topic open. In the light of recent parliamentary election, a question of identity gains even more importance. No development will be successful if Russian people do not solidify their claims; that is if they cannot identify themselves in modern conditions. With the aim to seek a broader understanding of Russia’s self-identification and how it corresponds with its policies (mainly foreign), the paper will examine the issue of “identity” in post-communist Russia from a variety of perspectives: sociological assessment of people perceptions with regards to Russian foreign policy in the period after the fall of communism; the rhetorical dimension of identity construction; the issue of Russian identity from the perspective of its connection to Europe (or West); Russian identity from the cultural perspective. Finally, it will outline how the questions of identity could be relevant to the country’s foreign policy. It is well perceived that although traditionally a country’s foreign policy should be based on the country’s interest and defined by its geopolitical position (in which geographical factors play role), and by the relations historically built with other nation, there is also a place for the identity notion. However, how this impact of identity on foreign policy could be defined, measured or revealed?
