Constructing the identities in the Soviet ideological discourse on the 1936 Constitution: the case of regional press

Abstract

Based on the materials of the regional Soviet press, dedicated to the celebration of the 1936 Constitution Day, the article analyzes how identities were constructed and social hierarchies were created in the Soviet ideological discourse. Using the discourse analysis of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe as a research method, the author determines the key meanings of the Constitution, as they appear in the materials of «Krasnoye znamya» from 1937 to 1952, creates a periodization of the Soviet ideological discourse and identifies a repertoire of identities positioned in the context of the narrative about the Constitution for each period.