"Satellite V", developed in Russia, a vaccine from Coronavirus, became known worldwide. Dozens of countries seriously explore the possibility of its use for mass vaccination of citizens. Several major countries - India, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Uzbekistan - made multimillion pre-orders. The first performance studies are published in leading medical publications. The first results of large-scale vaccination - in Russia the vaccinations of the "satellite V" have already received at least a million people - they look as well as the first results of other vaccines.
The effectiveness of the "satellite V" will, of course, be evaluated and overestimated many times - as data accumulates, but it is already possible to say quite exactly: this project made a huge contribution to improving Russia's image abroad. The only reservation - the contribution was made by the project, and not state-owned PR efforts that only interfered.
Support on great scientific pastThe appearance of the "satellite V" was distinguished rather opaque according to modern international standards for the formal registration procedure and political PR campaign, which could only alert. Nevertheless, the news about the Russian vaccine was immediately perceived very positively - partly because the idea that in Russia could be quickly developed by a high-quality, cheap solution for a new problem, well stacked in stereotypes about our country for decades.
First, a strong science - the last half a century did not change this stereotype to be strongly established for more than a hundred years. And not only the science "in general": the experience of Russian epidemiologists of the beginning of the twentieth century is an important chapter in the history of world science.
Secondly, the ability to achieve success due to the most powerful concentration of resources, and material, and intellectual in one direction is the main "chip" of Soviet success. A fantastic breakthrough into space, the launch of satellites, cosmonauts and lunaries did not correspond to the level of living in the country, and other development indicators. The point is not in space - sports achievements of the USSR, too, did not correspond to the development indicators. "Satellite V" fits perfectly into the stereotype "Russians can achieve success in any specific project, because their power can concentrate resources."
Cheap, gently, strongHowever, stereotypes stereotypes, and the main reason for media success is, of course, the fact that the product is a high-quality, according to preliminary data, cheap, that is, affordable for any countries in the world, was created. Employees of the Institute. Gamaley and other institutions participating in the development of the Russian direct investment fund of distribution and government agencies are the main authors of this success. But this is how definitely prevents - attempts to interpret and all the more use the success of the "satellite V" in geopolitical purposes. Fortunately, while the promotion of the Russian vaccine in the world looks as apolitical as possible - and it is in this case that acts as a soft force. The perfect example of a potent soft power.
"Soft power" is the term introduced at the end of the XX century by Harvard political scientist Joseph Ham. The influence of the country in the world, which is not reduced to direct or indirect violence, that is, no, for example, military force or trade policy. When the best graduate of any school in the world seeks to go to Stepford or Princeton - this is American soft power, when the players dream of playing for Real or Barcelona - this is the soft power of Spain, when it is impossible to write a novel about love, not lived in Paris or Buenos "Islais, this is the soft power of France or Argentina. When someone reads Sholokhov or Aleksievich, looks at the pictures of Goncharova or Kandinsky, learns to dance as Pavlova or Baryshnikov, listens to the record of Vishnevskaya or Rostropovich - this is the soft power of Russia.
And, of course, the soft power of Russia - maybe the most important in the history of science. Kovalevskaya and Kolmogorov, Semenov and Cherenkov experiments, Silber and Yermolov experiments, Slutsk and Cantorovich model, Vygotsky and Bakhtin books and many other names and milestones. Like many others, Ilya Mesnikov, Nobel laureate of 1908, and his student Mordechai-Wulf Havkin, the creator of the first vaccines against the plague and cholera, and after emigration they contributed to the soft force of Russia. "Satellite V" immediately perceived with respect just because the creators stood, in the sense of reputation, on the shoulders of these giants. And they themselves became a powerful increase to soft power.
Happiness is the best PRIt should be understood that soft force is not propaganda. Joseph Nai never wrote that it was not propaganda. 10 years ago, the Russian World Foundation for the Promotion of the Russian Language and Culture was created - and did not leave any trace. RT (Russia Today) and other agencies burn billions of state rubles per year - and are perceived as propaganda. That is, exactly do not add to the soft power. Compare with the 2018 World Cup World Championship - the most positive event in Russian history in the last half a century. So he made a huge contribution to the mild strength of Russia. Because all the efforts were spent on the way to organize and carry out a magic holiday, and not use it as a propaganda resource. And the fact that the championship was perfectly organized and made happy millions of Russians - it was the best PR.
Also, with the "satellite V": the more efforts are inserted into the quality of development, the transparency of the inspection and the efficiency of distribution - the more contribution to the mild strength of Russia will be. The smaller the propaganda cracks will be - the better.
The author's opinion may not coincide with the position of the VTIMES edition.