This research provides a framework for understanding the dynamics between the disenchanting strategies of the early Soviet ideology(1) and a countervailing re–enchantment catalyzed by the rise of eco–spiritual tendencies in late Soviet Russia. I argue that these tendencies paved the way for a post–secular model of correlation and interaction that corresponds to a shift away from anthropocentric meaning systems (Dos Santos 2021, pp. 117–118; Laruelle 2012, pp. 238–258), wherein humans are not conceived as separate from nature but rather as spiritually and ethnically “rooted” within it (cfr. Laruelle 2012, pp. 273–293). In this context, nature and ethnic politics are inextricably linked, as identity is predicated on a primordial and territorialized understanding of ethnicity (Ivakhiv 2009, p. 221). This approach has evolved into a geopolitical initiative that perpetuates Russian colonial mindsets, directed towards what can be described as “a conservative, palingenetic moral exceptionalism” (Suslov 2020, p. 226). Central to this inquiry is an attentiveness for the epistemological transformation within the discursive construct of “nature”, which necessitates a reflexive deconstruction of the epistemological boundaries that underpin the prevailing conceptions of “Russia” and “Russianness”, thus underscoring the importance of examining this subject matter through the articulation of spatial and geo–political imaginary (Mentzel 2022, pp. 39–47). To elucidate this dynamic, I adopt a phenomenological perspective on the human–nature relationship within Russian culture, accentuating specific interpretations of “nature” in shaping ontology and community belonging. This research highlights a significant ideological dimension that is frequently underemphasized in contemporary discussions on eco–spirituality and the philosophical discourse concerning science and religion.
Keywords: Disentchantment; Eco-Spirituality; Russian culture; Nature