CONSTRUCTING SYNTHETIC NATIONS FOR GEOPOLITICAL PURPOSES
CONSTRUCTING SYNTHETIC NATIONS FOR GEOPOLITICAL PURPOSES

Summary/Abstract: The book “Constructing Synthetic Nations”, published by Catena Mundi and the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade in 2024, is a collection of texts representing an almost pioneering endeavor in highlighting the identity engineering that major powers and some smaller states apply in these regions for various interests. The collection was edited by Dr. Miša Đurković, director of the Institute for European Studies in Belgrade, and it is the result of a scientific conference held at the institute on the topic of constructing synthetic nations in the territories of the former Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, particularly after their dissolution. The content comprises twelve texts, eight of which focus on the former Yugoslav territories, while four analyze the Soviet Union. The authors examine and analyze the various ways in which major powers have constructed synthetic nations or deconstructed existing ones worldwide. The manipulation and instrumentalization of national identity have served geopolitical objectives. Since the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Vatican were among the most important early protagonists in constructing synthetic nations, and other states and organizations have taken over this practice concerning the same nations, the comparison between Serbs and Russians in this collection is entirely understandable.

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