Evolution of “the People” as a Linguocultural Concept in Russian Official Discourse: An Analysis Based on the Speeches of Vladimir Putin in 2000–2025

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive study of the evolution of the linguocultural concept "the people" [народ] in the official discourse of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin from 2000 to 2025. The relevance of the study is determined by the fundamental significance of this concept for the formation of national identity and its key role in legitimizing the political course in the context of a radical transformation of the international order. The aim of the work is to identify and systematically analyze the dynamics of the semantic, pragmatic, and functional characteristics of the concept "the people" over a quarter of a century. The methodological basis is a linguocultural approach, integrated with methods of content analysis, conceptual analysis, and critical discourse analysis. As a result of the study, four key stages in the evolution of the concept are identified and characterized in detail: the stage of stabilization and internal consolidation (2000-2007), the stage of sovereignization and confrontation with the Western order (2008-2013), the stage of geopolitical shift and civilizational self-determination (2014-2021), and the stage of mobilization unity in conditions of direct confrontation (2022-2025). At each stage, the concept "the people" actualizes different components of its semantic field: from a passive "community of the population," an object of state care, to an active "historical subject," "bearer of sovereignty," "defender of civilizational values," and finally, a "mobilized community" waging an existential struggle. It is proven that the semantic and functional dynamics of the concept are a direct reflection of strategic changes in Russia's foreign and domestic policy, performing key discursive functions of legitimation, mobilization, national identification, and axiological justification.