Social Sciences in China Review

No.2, 2018

The Selection Mechanism and Value Orientation of the Contemporary State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Arts（Abstract）

Tian Gangjian

The State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Arts (abbreviated as the “Russian National Arts Prize”) is the highest official award in the field of literature and arts in contemporary Russia. It is an important embodiment of the official ideology as expressed in literary direction and values. It inherited and developed the aims, awarding models, and ceremonies of the State Stalin Prize and the USSR State Prize. Having undergone institutional reforms since Vladimir Putin took power, particularly the 2004 reform, it is an indicator of the value orientation of literary policies, such as promoting patriotism, unifying cultural space, inheriting the classics of literature and art and shaping the national image, against the background of the legalization of the market economy, the diversification of literary ideas, and the industrialization of culture. Prompted by the interactions between the imperial cultural tradition in the “new Russia” period and contemporary economy and politics, it is an important policy measure through which Russian authorities indirectly lead the development of literature and art, convey ideological appeals and raise national cultural identity. It is characterized by distinct nationalism and cultural conservatism.