Abstract
Abstract This study analyses the normative aspect of Russia’s ‘soft power’ in Central Asia, examining key factors of its influence in comparison with the approaches of the European Union and China. Based on historical and comparative analysis, study of legal documents and sociological data, it is shown that the Russian model of normative influence demonstrates certain resilience, which may be attributed to deep historical, cultural and institutional ties. The analysis of legal and institutional borrowings in the legislation of Central Asian countries reveals patterns of similarity with Russian norms in various areas—from regulating the activities of NGO s and restrictions on public assemblies to information security and countering extremism. The Russian approach, which combines modernisation with the preservation of traditional values and takes into account the multinational and multi-confessional context of the region, may be considered more adapted to local conditions compared to the universalist approach of the EU or the economically oriented model of China. The study suggests that normative influence may be based not on the direct export of ideological constructs, but on creating conditions for the adoption of practices perceived as effective and corresponding to the interests of the region’s political elites.