Eurasianism is the idea that peoples of the former Soviet Union (without the Baltic States) should form a supernational entity, known as "Eurasia". It is held to constitute a separate "civilization" from both Western civilization and Islamic or Chinese civilizations.
Shared Eurasian identity could be formed on the basis of experience of neo-Stalinist political system and rejecting liberal modernization in favour of "conservative modernization". Obstacles include religion (Orthodox Christianity in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus versus Islam in the Caucasus and Central Asia or Buddhism in parts of the Russian Far East) as well as racial and linguistic differences, which also bind the Slavic nations to Europe, and the Caucasus and Central Asia to the Middle East.
The concept of Eurasianism was first invented in the 1920s by Russian emigrants like Nikolai Trubetskoi and Lev Gumilev, who were disillusioned by Western ideologies of Marxism and liberalism. It was a niche idea, until about 2015. In 2008, 52% of Russians considered themselves Europeans, it 2021 only 29%. Nevertheless modern Eurasianism is mostly a political project serving Vladimir Putin's plans to rebuilt the Russian Empire.
Organizations embodying Eurasian unity include Community of Independent States and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.