As a result, Natalia Burlinova (PhD in Political Science, Associate Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Head of the "Public Diplomacy of the Regions of the Russian Federation" Project, and President of the Creative Diplomacy Center) took on a bold and challenging task: not to rehash Western concepts, but to understand and structure Russian phenomena. While doing this, she made good use of her own experience working with the press and NGOs in government and state-affiliated structures.

• "Soft Power" in Russian: How does the Russian approach differ from the American one, and why do classic definitions often fail?

• Laid-back diplomacy: How do NGOs maintain bridges between countries even when politicians are not on the line?

• Terminological puzzles: Public, civic, and people's diplomacy—what are the differences, and why is there so much disagreement? The author offers a system of concepts based on experience and analysis of the real situation.

• Practice instead of theory: The author not only analyzes but also offers her own model of NGO work in the system of international relations, based on 10 years of experience in government and quasi-government structures.

Considering how much water has flowed under the bridge since 2017 ("The relations between Russia and the West have entered a difficult period," writes Natalia Burlinova. If only we had known!), this book is also a matter of academic interest itself. What has changed in the Russian approach to public diplomacy since then? Are there any additions to the concept of "soft power"? Has Russia managed to regain an ideology that could serve as a foundation for its work with foreign countries? Have we solved any other problems identified by the author?

Let's first try to answer these questions ourselves. And then – put our answers to a test! Because, in 2024, Natalia Burlinova published a second, updated version of the book. We'll talk about it next time.