Comparative analysis of economic discourse, communication strategies and positioning models of the Governors of Saint Petersburg (for example G. Poltavchenko and A. Beglov)

The article is devoted to the comparison of public discourses and image models of the governors of St. Petersburg G.S. Poltavchenko and A.D. Beglov. The study is based on the paradigm of the constructionist aProach of M. Spector and J. Kitsuse, as well as the theory and methodology of the linguistic analysis of the political text by A.P. Chudinov and M.V. Gavrilova. The election speeches of governors, their inaugural speeches and reports to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg constitute the empirical basis of the research. Сognitive discourse analysis of texts and he biographical method elements are used as basic methods of the study. The authors compared the following components of governors’ images: image model, openness indicator, professional background, political franchising, discourse of urban patriotism, key topics of speeches and attitude towards elections. The matrix of genre-by-genre analysis of performances is presented: an increase in the number of new genres against the background of the routinization of old ones is noted; the general pattern in the speeches is the concept of «leader city». The election discourse is characterized by reduction in the mobilization component and the political party franchising. The inaugural speeches move away from the program component and gravitate towards the format of gratitude, conceptual simplification of the text (reduction of rhetorical linguistic means and topics), and emphasis on the continuity of power. The report to the Legislative Assembly is characterized in the change of the dominant time projection – reporting on work already done instead of a program element as a result of changing the format from a message to a report. Based on discourse and biographical analyzes, the authors determined the image model of G.S. Poltavchenko as a «aParatchik» (or «guardian manager»), and A.D. Beglov as a «economic executive». The article emphasizes the significance of personality traits, political career and biography, «framework» political conditions in the country as important factors influencing the public discourse of the governors of St. Petersburg and their model.

1. Apukhtin I.N. The influence of alternative convergent media on the construction of stereotypes of perception of the image of officials of the administration of St. Petersburg. Nauchnie trudi of northwestern institute of management RANEPA. 2021, N 5 (52), P. 18–26. (In Russ.)

2. Astashova O.I. Speech portrait of N.Yu. Belykh: dynamic aspect. Political linguistics. 2011, N 3 (37), P. 64–68. (In Russ.)

3. Bondareva L.V. Dynamics of the political image of Russia in the quality press of the USA. Abstract of Ph. D. thesis, Moscow, 2007, 18 p. (In Russ.)

4. Bryantseva E.A. Sociology of image: towards the formulation of the problem. Bulletin of Moscow University. Series 18. Sociology and political science. 2008, N 1, P. 105–117. (In Russ.)

5. Budaev E.V., A.P. Chudinov. Foreign political linguistics: textbook. Moscow: FLINTA, 2012, 352 p. (In Russ.)

6. Chertkov I.V. Regional political regimes of the Russian Federation: (On the example of St. Petersburg, the Republic of Karelia and the Novgorod region). Abstract of Ph. D. thesis. Saint Petersburg, 2005, 166 p. (In Russ.)

7. Chudinov A.P. Political linguistics: textbook. 4th ed. Moscow: Flinta, Nauka, 2012, 256 p. (In Russ.)

8. Chudinov A.P., Budaev E.V., Dzyuba E.V. Theory and methodology of linguistic analysis of political text. Ekaterinburg: Ural State Pedagogical University, 2016, 308 p. (In Russ.)

9. Daugavet A.B. “Leading city” in the vertical dimension: the Russian model of federalism in the mirror of the discourse of power. In: The paths of Russia. New languages of social description. Saint Petersburg: New literary review, 2014, P. 144–160. (In Russ.)

10. Donaj L., Shcheglov M.Y. Discoursive image of the modern governor’s authority of Saint Petersburg. PolitBook. 2021, N 1, P. 81–104. (In Russ.)

11. Furs R.F. Image of a political leader: psychological structure. Moscow: Golos, 1996, 217 p. (In Russ.)

12. Gavrilova M.V. Cognitive and rhetorical foundations of presidential speech (based on the speeches of V.V. Putin and B.N. Yeltsin). Saint Petersburg: Faculty of Philology of St. Petersburg State University, 2004, 296 p. (In Russ.)

13. Golikova T.A. Speech portrait as the main component of a leader’s image in political discourse. Bulletin of the Russian New University. Series: Man in the modern world. 2018, N 3, P. 9–16. (In Russ.)

14. Gorchakova V.G. Aplied imageology. Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2010, 478 p. (In Russ.)

15. Ilyin M.V., Smorgunov L.V. Comparative politics. Political science (RU). 2001, N 2, P. 109–145. (In Russ.)

16. Isseris O.S. Communication strategies and tactics of Russian speech. Moscow: URSS, 2008, 288 p. (In Russ.)

17. Kynev A.V. Governors in Russia: between elections and appointments. Moscow: Liberal Mission Foundation, 2020, 1030 p. (In Russ.)

18. Kynev A.V. The phenomenon of “Varangian governors” as an indicator of recentralization (experience 1991-2018). Journal of political philosophy and sociology of politics “Polity. Analysis. Chronicle. Forecast”, 2019, N 2 (93), P. 125–150. (In Russ.)

19. Leontyev D.A. From image to image: psychosemantic branding. Advertising and life. 2000, N 1, P. 19–22. (In Russ.)

20. Malysheva E.G., Rogaleva O.S. Transformation of the media image “Governor” in the mass information regional discourse of the Omsk region (2003-2019). Political linguistics. 2019, N 4, P. 45–53. (In Russ.)

21. McCombs M., Eyal Ch., Graber D., Weaver D. Media agenda-setting in the presidential election. N.Y.: Praeger Scientific, 1981, 227 p.

22. Medvedeva S.M. Political stereotypes and their impact on the electoral behavior of Russians in the 1990s. Psychology of perception of power. Moscow: Publishing house “Social and Political Thought”, 2002, P. 71–76. (In Russ.)

23. Nakhimova E.A., Akhatova G.A. Russian linguistic and political personology: a communicative portrait of a regional leader. Political linguistics. 2020, N 1 (79), P. 52–57. (In Russ.)

24. Petrovsky V.A. Psychology of maladaptive activity. Moscow: LLP “Gorbunok”, 1992, 223 p. (In Russ.)

25. Podvintsev O.B. “Varangian” governors and regional political elites in modern Russia: conditions and trends of interaction. POLITEX. 2009, N 2, P. 56–71.

26. Shestopal E.B. Images of Russian power: from Yeltsin to Putin. Moscow: Russian Political Encyclopedia (ROSSPEN), 2009, 240 p.

27. Sladkevich Z.R. Personal image: on the issue of defining the concept. Bulletin of the Moscow City Pedagogical University. Series: Philology. Theory of language. Language education. 2019, N 4 (36), P. 68–80.

28. Spector M., Kitsuse J.I. Constructing social problems. New York: Aldine de Groyter, 1987, 196 p.

29. Sternin I.A. Introduction to speech influence. Moscow: Russian State Library, 2001, 252 p. (In Russ.)

30. Tuchkov S.M. Public Relations in the political process of modern Russia. Abstract of Ph. D. thesis. Moscow, 2001, 24 p. (In Russ.)

31. Zagainov A.V. The concept of the image of a political leader: essence and aProaches to definition. Academic. zap. Kazan. un-ta. Ser. Humanitarian sciences. 2007, N 3, P. 227–240. (In Russ.)

32. Zueva T.M. Mechanisms for the formation of images of power. Theory and practice of social development. 2013, N 3, P. 15–20. (In Russ.)