The Story of Russia
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- Create Date：2022-09-22 17:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Orlando Figes
- ISBN：125079689X
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Summary
“This is the essential backstory， the history book that you need if you want to understand modern Russia and its wars with Ukraine， with its neighbors， with America， and with the West。”
—Anne Applebaum， author of Twilight of Democracy and Red Famine
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews
From “the great storyteller of Russian history” （Financial Times）， a brilliant account of the national mythologies and imperial ideologies that have shaped Russia’s past and politics—essential reading for understanding the country today
The Story of Russia is a fresh approach to the thousand years of Russia’s history， concerned as much with the ideas that have shaped how Russians think about their past as it is with the events and personalities comprising it。 No other country has reimagined its own story so often， in a perpetual effort to stay in step with the shifts of ruling ideologies。
From the founding of Kievan Rus in the first millennium to Putin’s war against Ukraine， Orlando Figes explores the ideas that have guided Russia’s actions throughout its long and troubled existence。 Whether he's describing the crowning of Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral or the dramatic upheaval of the peasant revolution， he reveals the impulses， often unappreciated or misunderstood by foreigners， that have driven Russian history: the medieval myth of Mother Russia’s holy mission to the world; the imperial tendency toward autocratic rule; the popular belief in a paternal tsar dispensing truth and justice; the cult of sacrifice rooted in the idea of the “Russian soul”; and always， the nationalist myth of Russia’s unjust treatment by the West。
How the Russians came to tell their story and to revise it so often as they went along is not only a vital aspect of their history; it is also our best means of understanding how the country thinks and acts today。 Based on a lifetime of scholarship and enthrallingly written， The Story of Russia is quintessential Figes: sweeping， revelatory， and masterful。
—Anne Applebaum， author of Twilight of Democracy and Red Famine
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews
From “the great storyteller of Russian history” （Financial Times）， a brilliant account of the national mythologies and imperial ideologies that have shaped Russia’s past and politics—essential reading for understanding the country today
The Story of Russia is a fresh approach to the thousand years of Russia’s history， concerned as much with the ideas that have shaped how Russians think about their past as it is with the events and personalities comprising it。 No other country has reimagined its own story so often， in a perpetual effort to stay in step with the shifts of ruling ideologies。
From the founding of Kievan Rus in the first millennium to Putin’s war against Ukraine， Orlando Figes explores the ideas that have guided Russia’s actions throughout its long and troubled existence。 Whether he's describing the crowning of Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral or the dramatic upheaval of the peasant revolution， he reveals the impulses， often unappreciated or misunderstood by foreigners， that have driven Russian history: the medieval myth of Mother Russia’s holy mission to the world; the imperial tendency toward autocratic rule; the popular belief in a paternal tsar dispensing truth and justice; the cult of sacrifice rooted in the idea of the “Russian soul”; and always， the nationalist myth of Russia’s unjust treatment by the West。
How the Russians came to tell their story and to revise it so often as they went along is not only a vital aspect of their history; it is also our best means of understanding how the country thinks and acts today。 Based on a lifetime of scholarship and enthrallingly written， The Story of Russia is quintessential Figes: sweeping， revelatory， and masterful。
Reviews
Sean Farrell
，
This is a fine book that brings the reader about as up to date as possible for a history book， covering as it does the early stages of the current war in Ukraine。 Engagingly written and full of great stories， the real strength of this book lies in the determination of the author to identify the threads that run right through Russian history and which help to explain， almost with sympathy， certainly understanding， why the current events are unfolding。Thoroughly enjoyable， much more than a simple This is a fine book that brings the reader about as up to date as possible for a history book， covering as it does the early stages of the current war in Ukraine。 Engagingly written and full of great stories， the real strength of this book lies in the determination of the author to identify the threads that run right through Russian history and which help to explain， almost with sympathy， certainly understanding， why the current events are unfolding。Thoroughly enjoyable， much more than a simple linear narrative， I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Jo-anne Atkinson
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This is not a comprehensive， detailed story of Russia。 It takes a different perspective and places the events of the 21st century so far under the gaze of Russian history over the preceding centuries。 Key events that shaped modern Russia are described but then the actions are shown to be mirrored in current times。 In that respect this is a great little book as it makes links that may not be apparent to the modern， Western eye。 It does not glorify Putin's actions， it does explain the rhetoric tha This is not a comprehensive， detailed story of Russia。 It takes a different perspective and places the events of the 21st century so far under the gaze of Russian history over the preceding centuries。 Key events that shaped modern Russia are described but then the actions are shown to be mirrored in current times。 In that respect this is a great little book as it makes links that may not be apparent to the modern， Western eye。 It does not glorify Putin's actions， it does explain the rhetoric that is used as justification。 。。。more
KarnagesMistress
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I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways。 It is an advance reader's edition。 I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways。 It is an advance reader's edition。 。。。more
Lady
，
This was a great history book。 It goes into great detail of Russian history。 It focuses on the country's politics， leaders， conflict and its need for power。 I don't know that much about Russia。 So I learnt alot from reading it and felt this is a brilliant book to read in this current climate。 I loved how well the author explained things。 It flowed so well in chronological order。 It definitely fascinated me。 It was a very eye opening read。 I feel like I understand more about what it's like in a c This was a great history book。 It goes into great detail of Russian history。 It focuses on the country's politics， leaders， conflict and its need for power。 I don't know that much about Russia。 So I learnt alot from reading it and felt this is a brilliant book to read in this current climate。 I loved how well the author explained things。 It flowed so well in chronological order。 It definitely fascinated me。 It was a very eye opening read。 I feel like I understand more about what it's like in a communist state。 I definitely recommend reading this if you are interested in Russia or just want a better understanding about the history that has lead up to the present day issues。 It certainly made me understand the lead up to the war。 It makes for a very interesting and equally shocking history。 I just need to mention how much I loved the simplicity of the cover。 If we all think about Russia show definitely springs to mind。 Cold in more ways than one。So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fascinating history of a very difficult country to understand。 I'm sure that this book will be loved by many。 。。。more
A。J。 Sefton
，
A timely and concise non-fiction book about a fascinating country。 This actually is the 'story of Russia'， told through history， folklore and mythology， telling of the forming and beliefs of Russia。 Unlike an encyclopaedia， this is a book that requires a linear reading to truly see how modern Russia has developed through time。It starts with Viking settlers and Norse sagas， covers the saints and legendary characters through to the Mongols， the 1917 Revolution and key historical people such as Cat A timely and concise non-fiction book about a fascinating country。 This actually is the 'story of Russia'， told through history， folklore and mythology， telling of the forming and beliefs of Russia。 Unlike an encyclopaedia， this is a book that requires a linear reading to truly see how modern Russia has developed through time。It starts with Viking settlers and Norse sagas， covers the saints and legendary characters through to the Mongols， the 1917 Revolution and key historical people such as Catherine the Great， Napoleon， Stalin， and Vladimir the Terrible to Putin。 I particularly liked the description and significance of the geographical regions。This is a very accessible book for the non-historian and provides a broad sweep of the essential Russian history and character。 As an added bonus， a further reading list is included for those who wish to develop their knowledge in a particular area。 Well written by a Russia expert， this book will appeal to those who wish to know a bit of the background to the war in Ukraine。 Recommended。 。。。more
Jen Burrows
，
The Story of Russia tackles the history of this vast country in a way that is accessible， informative and relevant。History is a story we tell from the present， and Figes shows how in Russia， it's a story that has been reframed and reimagined over centuries in a way that best suits the parties in power at the time。 Every country does this to a certain extent， but in Russia having the power of the storyteller has always been decisive。 This means it's difficult to understand the Russian sense of na The Story of Russia tackles the history of this vast country in a way that is accessible， informative and relevant。History is a story we tell from the present， and Figes shows how in Russia， it's a story that has been reframed and reimagined over centuries in a way that best suits the parties in power at the time。 Every country does this to a certain extent， but in Russia having the power of the storyteller has always been decisive。 This means it's difficult to understand the Russian sense of national identity without being aware of its past。 Century by century， Figes explores history as told by Russia and from a Western perspective。 He covers a lot of ground， but his easy to read style makes it easy to follow， especially as he picks up on trends and interpretations。This is not just a history， but an unravelling of the myths that make Russia today。*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Lorenzo Coopman
，
I had second thoughts about reading this book after reading a review of it in the Guardian。 But I did give him a chance， and I have to say that this book hits all the right notes; it isn't pretentious， and it has a very nice style。One of the best texts I've read to introduce myself to Russian culture and history。 The chapter on "ван асилeви" is extremely fascinating。 The book ends around April 2022， so the chapters about recent history are excellent， but I doubt it will be appreciated in Russia' I had second thoughts about reading this book after reading a review of it in the Guardian。 But I did give him a chance， and I have to say that this book hits all the right notes; it isn't pretentious， and it has a very nice style。One of the best texts I've read to introduce myself to Russian culture and history。 The chapter on "ван асилeви" is extremely fascinating。 The book ends around April 2022， so the chapters about recent history are excellent， but I doubt it will be appreciated in Russia's "imperialist milieu。"Anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of Russia and its future direction should read this book， in my opinion。 。。。more
Peter Willoughby
，
It's never easy to write history books almost as they are happening， but in the Story of Russia， Orlando Figes has written an excellent Concise History of Russia and brought it bang up to date。 There are numerous insights that I have not read anywhere else， attempting to explain what English readers don't usually understand about Russia and the Russian people。I would recommend anyone who has an interest in what is happening in Russia， and let's face it everybody should， to read this book while i It's never easy to write history books almost as they are happening， but in the Story of Russia， Orlando Figes has written an excellent Concise History of Russia and brought it bang up to date。 There are numerous insights that I have not read anywhere else， attempting to explain what English readers don't usually understand about Russia and the Russian people。I would recommend anyone who has an interest in what is happening in Russia， and let's face it everybody should， to read this book while it is still bang up to date。If you haven't managed to read this yet don't worry it will still be in date for a while yet。Congratulations to Orlando for a great book and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review。 。。。more
Allison Valentine
，
If you have ever wondered about the history of Russia then you must read this book。Orlando Figes gives an accurate account and without bias over the last thousand years of the country and its leaders。Figes has written the book excellently so it reads more as a story than a reference book。I have learned more about Russia and it's history by reading this book than I ever did at school！The last few chapters gives the reader an account of Putin in the years following up to the invasion of Ukraine。 I If you have ever wondered about the history of Russia then you must read this book。Orlando Figes gives an accurate account and without bias over the last thousand years of the country and its leaders。Figes has written the book excellently so it reads more as a story than a reference book。I have learned more about Russia and it's history by reading this book than I ever did at school！The last few chapters gives the reader an account of Putin in the years following up to the invasion of Ukraine。 It also gives the view point from both the western and Russian point of view。 Exceptionally written。 。。。more
Roman Clodia
，
This is the book I've been wanting to read about Russia - and Figes is exactly the right person to write it。 While this does sweep through the history of the country， the real focus， and what makes this so timely and fascinating， is that it doesn't just tell what happens， but how the cultural myth-making of 'Russia' runs alongside， and sometimes over， the historical material narrative。 This is about how 'Russia' thinks of itself， how it creates its ideological and mythical narratives and what th This is the book I've been wanting to read about Russia - and Figes is exactly the right person to write it。 While this does sweep through the history of the country， the real focus， and what makes this so timely and fascinating， is that it doesn't just tell what happens， but how the cultural myth-making of 'Russia' runs alongside， and sometimes over， the historical material narrative。 This is about how 'Russia' thinks of itself， how it creates its ideological and mythical narratives and what those flashpoints are and have been across millennia， all the way up to the present。 Given our current urgency to understand what is happening and how， Figes traces myths of 'Holy Russia' and the deep desire for a patriarchal figure to dominate and control: from the Tsars to Stalin to Putin， to the place of religious patriotism， and the almost masochistic sense of sublimation。 This isn't just the story of Russia but the stories that Russia has seemingly always told itself。Thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Mr Rick Forncett
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The Story of Russia is a brilliant， up to date account of the development of Russia over the past thousand years。 The author， Orlando Figes， is an acknowledged expert on the subject and the book has been written as a story to be read in total， rather than just to be just dipped into for reference。 I particularly enjoyed the last section which gives an illuminating account of the Putin years up to the eve of his invasion of Ukraine from both the Western and Russian viewpoint。 The Story of Russia The Story of Russia is a brilliant， up to date account of the development of Russia over the past thousand years。 The author， Orlando Figes， is an acknowledged expert on the subject and the book has been written as a story to be read in total， rather than just to be just dipped into for reference。 I particularly enjoyed the last section which gives an illuminating account of the Putin years up to the eve of his invasion of Ukraine from both the Western and Russian viewpoint。 The Story of Russia is an engrossing read and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone who wants to understand the background to the current conflict in Ukraine。 。。。more
Carlton
，
History of course is more complex – even if it is a story too。Confident， concise history which is not afraid to make claims of historic trends and acknowledge multiple interpretations。Russia now comprises four geographical zones:• Treeless Tundra， above Arctic Circle， about one-fifth of Russia’s land mass• Taiga forest zone - pine trees， spruce and larch， interspersed with marshes， lakes and rivers• Central Agricultural zone， rich black soil • Pontic Steppe - semi-arid grasslands and savannasThe History of course is more complex – even if it is a story too。Confident， concise history which is not afraid to make claims of historic trends and acknowledge multiple interpretations。Russia now comprises four geographical zones:• Treeless Tundra， above Arctic Circle， about one-fifth of Russia’s land mass• Taiga forest zone - pine trees， spruce and larch， interspersed with marshes， lakes and rivers• Central Agricultural zone， rich black soil • Pontic Steppe - semi-arid grasslands and savannasThe history is told in eleven necessarily broad brush chapters that outline chronological developments and usually concentrate on a few individual stories to bring out the important changes。1。 Origins - Kievan Rus and Byzantium’s Eastern Orthodox Christianity。 Creation of myth of Holy Russia with Mary as Mother， rather than Virgin （Roman Catholic interpretation）。2。 Mongol Impact - 1223 and horsemen from the east。 The capture of Kiev on 6 December 1240 effectively marking the end of Kievan Rus。 With the subsequent rise of Moscow as a powerful principality， although subject to the Golden Horde， it was not until 1378 that the Mongols could first be successfully challenged。 Today the Kulikovo victory is linked in the nationalist consciousness to other episodes when Russia’s military sacrifice ‘saved’ the West， in 1812–15 （against Napoleon） or 1941–5， for example; each time its sacrifice had been unthanked， unrecognised by its Western allies in these wars。 The country’s deep resentment of the West is rooted in this national myth。 Although gradually weakening， Moscow remained a vassal of the khans until 1502。3。 Ivan the Terrible （1530-84） and the conquest of Khazan and Astrakhan， with an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Livonia to access the Baltic Sea。 The opening up of Siberia， which was conquered by Ivan’s son4。 Time of Troubles - civil war following Ivan the Terrible’s death without a successor （he had unintentionally（？） killed his son） and choosing of a Romanov as the next Tsar。5。 Russia faces West - Catherine the Great （1762-98） embraces the European Enlightenment， to a point， and creates the West facing St Petersburg。6。 The Shadow of Napoleon - the French Revolution turns Russia away from Europe， as does Napoleon’s invasion。 I found this really interesting in highlighting Russian belief that Russia was responsible for defeating Napoleon。7。 An Empire in Crisis - the problem of making Russian farming and industry efficient， with serfdom eventually abolished （1861）。 Some Tsars embrace European ideas， whilst others are isolationist。 The build up to revolution， or break down of the autocracy， is also outlined。8。 Revolutionary Russia - the 1917 revolution， civil war and creation of the Soviet state。 There are more quotable insights: Throughout the peasant world Communist regimes have been built on the ambition of peasant sons to join the bureaucratic class。 And plausible explanations as to the Bolsheviks success， as a: unifying goal （the defence of ‘the revolution’） with clear symbols （the Red Flag and the Red Army’s emblem， the Red Star） capable of winning mass support。9。 The War on Old Russia - Stalin’s “reign”， including the Five Year Plans， disastrous large scale agricultural collectivisation （kolkholzesj， and Stalin’s paranoia leading to the progroms and show trials in the 1930’s，10。 Motherland - the pragmatic reasons behind the 1939 Soviet:Nazi non-aggression pact （but also its betrayal of ideological Communism）， the massive casualty rate in the Second World War， when the timing of the invasion had been unexpected。 But also the patriotism and hatred of the Nazis that allowed the country to defeat the invasion （The cult of sacrifice was a more important factor than terror。 It was the Soviet system’s main advantage over Western liberal societies where the loss of human life was given greater weight in the reckonings of the command。）。 Stalin died in 1953， to be followed by Krushchev， Brezhnev （1964）， Andropov （1982）， Chernenko （1984）， and Gorbachev （1985）， with the break up of the USSR。11。 Ends - discussion of the rise of Putin and how the potential for a more “Western liberal” government was lost， the possible missed chances， perhaps caused by the “West’s” understanding of Russia。I found this narrative really useful to gain some understanding of modern Russia as throughout the book Figes highlights how Russian society was different from other European countries， and how some of these differences might explain the Russian public’s acquiescence to Putin’s current aggression to other countries。 Recommended。I received a Netgalley copy of this book， but this review is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Lillian
，
A good resource to understand the contemporary situation。
Ben Dutton
，
This whistle-stop tour through hundreds of years of Russian history has probably taken on more resonance and perked the interest of more readers than Figes probably imagined due to recent events in Ukraine （2022）。 Indeed， the final paragraphs of this work seem especially prescient in their forewarning of future events。This work， being a whistle stop tour， does not do every era full justice， but this is not a criticism。 The end notes provide details of other books if you wish to pursue a particul This whistle-stop tour through hundreds of years of Russian history has probably taken on more resonance and perked the interest of more readers than Figes probably imagined due to recent events in Ukraine （2022）。 Indeed， the final paragraphs of this work seem especially prescient in their forewarning of future events。This work， being a whistle stop tour， does not do every era full justice， but this is not a criticism。 The end notes provide details of other books if you wish to pursue a particular rabbit hole of Russian history。 Figes spends more time in the twentieth century in this book than the previous centuries， but he draws enough parallels and shows us the connective tissue between Putin and those rulers of old whose ideology and iconography Putin has adapted to make every section here absolutely vital。As Figes notes near the end of this work， there are now hundreds of works which deal with Putin-era Russia， and doubtless there will be thousands more to come。 This book is great introduction to that era and more besides， and is an expert primer to a country with whom we are all familiar， but about whose internal life we are unfamiliar。 Great stuff。Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Story of Russia
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Story of Russia&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Story of Russia&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0