How the World Forgot About Russian Imperialism
And why recovering this history matters for understanding the war in Ukraine.
“Russia’s nature as an imperial power is incontrovertible,” Artem Shaipov and Yuliia Shaipova write. “So why has this fundamental, foundational fact about Russia been all but ignored in the West for so long, including among those who study and analyze the region?”
“Russia’s nature as an imperial power is incontrovertible,” Artem Shaipov and Yuliia Shaipova write. “So why has this fundamental, foundational fact about Russia been all but ignored in the West for so long, including among those who study and analyze the region?”
Shaipov and Shaipova suggest that the answer lies in the way Russian studies is taught in the West. But regardless of the reason, the war in Ukraine has sparked a newfound awareness of Russia’s imperial project, past and present. The essays below explore the nature of Russian imperialism and its relationship to the country’s latest war of conquest.—Chloe Hadavas
Georgian soldiers escape their burning armored vehicle on a road near Gori, Georgia, during the Russo-Georgian War on Aug. 11, 2008. Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
What the Fall of Empires Tells Us About the Ukraine War
Russia’s war can only be understood as a bloody post-imperial conflict, Anatol Lieven writes.
A portrait of Alexander Pushkin. Bridgeman Art Library
From Pushkin to Putin: Russian Literature’s Imperial Ideology
Russian classical literature, chock full of dehumanizing nationalism, reads disturbingly familiar today, Volodymyr Yermolenko writes.
“Yermak’s conquest of Siberia,” a 19th-century historical painting by Vasiliy Surikov, depicts a Russian attack on Siberian Tatars.Universal History Archive/Getty Images
It’s High Time to Decolonize Western Russia Studies
Why, Artem Shaipov and Yuliia Shaipova write, has it taken a war of conquest for experts to recognize Russia’s nature as a vast imperial enterprise?
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a video screen in Moscow’s Red Square as he addresses a rally and concert marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine on Sept. 30.ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images
Why Putin’s Denunciations of Western Imperialism Ring Hollow
Russia is among the world’s most ambitious imperial nations, FP’s Howard W. French writes.
Russian servicemen sit on benches in Melitopol, Ukraine, on July 14, 2022.Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images
For Opposition to Putin’s War, Look to the Fringes of His Empire
The dirty secret of the Russian military is that long-conquered subjects are the Kremlin’s cannon fodder, Alexey Kovalev writes.
More from Foreign Policy
A New Multilateralism
How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy
Beijing’s representatives are always scared they could be the next to vanish.
The End of America’s Middle East
The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
Join the Conversation
Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.
Already a subscriber? .
Subscribe Subscribe
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.
Subscribe Subscribe
Not your account?
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.