The Story of Russia
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- Create Date：2022-11-20 06:51:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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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
Katie Coleman
，
A concise Russian history written with an eye towards explaining the current conflict in Ukraine。 Sometimes quite dry and even a bit hurried but I am happy to have learned a lot in a short amount of time。 Would recommend for those interested in the topic and also teachers of this material。
Chandy John
，
Figes is the master of Russian history。 For the broader picture or anything from culture to daily life in general through the ages， he has no peer （Natasha's Dance- A Cultural History of Russia）。 This will be the most up to date and relevant history of the country。 It was published in April 2022。 Figes is the master of Russian history。 For the broader picture or anything from culture to daily life in general through the ages， he has no peer （Natasha's Dance- A Cultural History of Russia）。 This will be the most up to date and relevant history of the country。 It was published in April 2022。 。。。more
Manish
，
I've always found European history to be confusing and all about internecine warfare among the different tribes and empires who are connected by blood relations。 Figes' introduction to Russia lays out the complex background about the idea of Russia and more importantly succeeds to place the fixation with Ukraine in the proper context。 I've always found European history to be confusing and all about internecine warfare among the different tribes and empires who are connected by blood relations。 Figes' introduction to Russia lays out the complex background about the idea of Russia and more importantly succeeds to place the fixation with Ukraine in the proper context。 。。。more
Stef Cornelissen
，
As a rule Orlando Figes's books are hefty tomes that mostly deal with key episodes in Russian history。 The story of Russia is different in that respect。 With under 400 pages it is more a historians pamflet 😉。 Figes presents a synteses of his work to analyze and explain the current way of thinking in the Kremlin。 The result is readable and informative - even if it is pessimistic in its outlook。 It provides a convincing picture of Russian political thinking。 No book will change the suffering on th As a rule Orlando Figes's books are hefty tomes that mostly deal with key episodes in Russian history。 The story of Russia is different in that respect。 With under 400 pages it is more a historians pamflet 😉。 Figes presents a synteses of his work to analyze and explain the current way of thinking in the Kremlin。 The result is readable and informative - even if it is pessimistic in its outlook。 It provides a convincing picture of Russian political thinking。 No book will change the suffering on the ground in Ukrain。 But at least it gave me a better understanding of the forces at play。 。。。more
Scott
，
Covering a lot of ground I felt this book took me on a fascinating journey through a country I previously had only really visited in James Bond movies。 In today's world more than any other it's essential to know what you are looking at and this gave me a much deeper and more nuanced feel for Russia today。 Covering a lot of ground I felt this book took me on a fascinating journey through a country I previously had only really visited in James Bond movies。 In today's world more than any other it's essential to know what you are looking at and this gave me a much deeper and more nuanced feel for Russia today。 。。。more
Sebastian Heinrich
，
Excellent book to get an overview of the russian history from the beginnings of the Kiever Rus until the start of the invasion of Ukraine。Well written， threads everything together in a coherant fashion explaining some of the particularities of the "Russian soul"。 Excellent book to get an overview of the russian history from the beginnings of the Kiever Rus until the start of the invasion of Ukraine。Well written， threads everything together in a coherant fashion explaining some of the particularities of the "Russian soul"。 。。。more
John W。
，
A first class brief history of Russia。
Bsaskia
，
Found this “story” - specially first half - hard to follow （too many names and jumps and complicated sentences）， till it reaches more contemporary phases。 Found it too opinionated and overly anti Russian。 Still I learned interesting facts， but will not recommend it。
R。P。 Bosman
，
Interessant boek maar vond het soms wel wat onprettig lezen。 Had soms het gevoel dat er opsommingen werden gegegeven terwijl op andere momenten er 'verhalend' werd geschreven。 Het boek geeft goed inzicht in het onstaan van Rusland en helpt de huidige politiek en retoriek uit ivm Oekraïne beter te begrijpen。 Interessant boek maar vond het soms wel wat onprettig lezen。 Had soms het gevoel dat er opsommingen werden gegegeven terwijl op andere momenten er 'verhalend' werd geschreven。 Het boek geeft goed inzicht in het onstaan van Rusland en helpt de huidige politiek en retoriek uit ivm Oekraïne beter te begrijpen。 。。。more
Scott Martin
，
（Audiobook） A concise but quality work on the history of Russia。 The main focus of this one is to look at Russian history， particularly the key events and see how various Russian/Soviet leaders have used that aspect of history to their own ends。 It does cover the timely invasion of Ukraine， but it is not just solely focused on Russia vs Ukraine and their respective histories， although that is a key element of the 1st half of the second millennium AD， as Kyiven Rus rose and fell， and how eventual （Audiobook） A concise but quality work on the history of Russia。 The main focus of this one is to look at Russian history， particularly the key events and see how various Russian/Soviet leaders have used that aspect of history to their own ends。 It does cover the timely invasion of Ukraine， but it is not just solely focused on Russia vs Ukraine and their respective histories， although that is a key element of the 1st half of the second millennium AD， as Kyiven Rus rose and fell， and how eventually Moscow supplanted Kyiv as the main city in the Russian Empire。 Worth the read regardless of the format， although the novice to Russian history will get more out of it。 。。。more
Kerree
，
This book is a fantastic overview of the history of Russia， and poinant considering the war in Ukraine。 I think I will go away and read/listen to other books that deal with specific parts of the story that I find intersting。
Matthew LaPine
，
A history of the last two thousand years or so of the area of the world westerners think of as "Russia"， from early times before it was even Russia， through various leaders and many wars with mixed success， eastward expansion to the Pacific， ongoing tensions with the more-powerful countries to the west， through present day。 This book provides significant insight to the deep resentment of the West held by many Russians， the perception of being lesser and having to prove better， of failing to get A history of the last two thousand years or so of the area of the world westerners think of as "Russia"， from early times before it was even Russia， through various leaders and many wars with mixed success， eastward expansion to the Pacific， ongoing tensions with the more-powerful countries to the west， through present day。 This book provides significant insight to the deep resentment of the West held by many Russians， the perception of being lesser and having to prove better， of failing to get credit for significant progress and military successes， and much more。 It left this reader with hopelessness for ever having anything resembling normal relations with a people who hate us so。Well worth reading for the great understanding and perspective lent。 。。。more
NellyBells
，
One thousand years of history in 370 pages。 Definitely going to be read again - so much information and I do feel as if I understand Russia better than I ever have but I need another go at it。 Competing narratives， the same ones for a millennium。 Figes is an excellent writer。
Josh
，
An enjoyable and informative read。 And quite relevant considering the current events。 The author is clear in framing the book that it's focus is on the "Story" of Russia， i。e。 the narratives and myths that shape Russia and its culture。 I think the premise is fascinating， and I like that the author gives a sweeping overview of Russia's history， from its early days to it czarist past to the 20th century turmoil to the present。 My main critique is that around 300 pages isn't enough to adequately co An enjoyable and informative read。 And quite relevant considering the current events。 The author is clear in framing the book that it's focus is on the "Story" of Russia， i。e。 the narratives and myths that shape Russia and its culture。 I think the premise is fascinating， and I like that the author gives a sweeping overview of Russia's history， from its early days to it czarist past to the 20th century turmoil to the present。 My main critique is that around 300 pages isn't enough to adequately cover that scope。 The chapters on the 20th century felt especially rushed， as the author rapid-fired names and events at the reader in quick succession。 For readers already familiar with the prominent figures of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath， perhaps this isn't an issue。 But for readers less familiar with that history， it can be hard to absorb and keep track of who was who。 While I applaud the effort toward brevity， I think the book would have been served well by another 50-100 pages。 Or else to narrow its focus so more attention could be given the tumults of the twentieth century。 。。。more
Andrew
，
Fascinating read。 Traces Russia’s roots。 Can almost understand why Vladimir Putin wants The Ukraine back。 Anyone wanting to understand the nature of the Russian story， or just history geeks like me will find， will find this to be very readable。
Michael Samerdyke
，
A very brisk， well-reasoned， and well-written history of Russia from earliest times to the present。 Figes' judgments have a lot of depth to them， and this would be a superb "first book" for those who want to learn about Russia given the current crisis。Highly recommended。 A very brisk， well-reasoned， and well-written history of Russia from earliest times to the present。 Figes' judgments have a lot of depth to them， and this would be a superb "first book" for those who want to learn about Russia given the current crisis。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Ian
，
The past isn't necessarily a good predictor of the future but， since Vladimir Putin uses history as his textbook， The Story of Russia provides timely context for events in Ukraine。 Orlando Figes documents 1000 years of Russian history and the resulting myths that drive Putin and that he uses to justify his actions。 Viewed through the lens of Western democracy （what is an oligarch， how can Putin rule the way he does？） invasion of Ukraine， and the invasions that went before， are easily portrayed a The past isn't necessarily a good predictor of the future but， since Vladimir Putin uses history as his textbook， The Story of Russia provides timely context for events in Ukraine。 Orlando Figes documents 1000 years of Russian history and the resulting myths that drive Putin and that he uses to justify his actions。 Viewed through the lens of Western democracy （what is an oligarch， how can Putin rule the way he does？） invasion of Ukraine， and the invasions that went before， are easily portrayed as the actions of a madman。 Viewed through the lens of 1000 years of Russian history it's disturbingly clear how Putin is trying to revive the mythological high points of the past。For me， one of the most chilling things to read was of "its single greatest asset， its seemingly inexhaustible supply of peasant soldiers" （chapter 8）。 Too much of the book reads like current news。 Strip off the mythology and so many past Russian military enterprises ended in failure at a very high cost in life。The Story of Russia brings much-needed context to events making daily headlines。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
WannaRead
，
Beautifully written， concise， and engaging。Now I understand how Russia has come to despise the West， why it’s so hard for Russia to embrace a liberal democracy， and how dangerous myth can be if it’s used by the dictators to twist the history of their countries。
Gerry Lee
，
This book couldn't be more timely。 It covers the complete historical narrative of Russia and for those interested in politics， war studies and history， this is an essential text。 It is well written， provides excellent detail and highlights the evolution of the Russian mindset。 An excellent resource。 Highly recommended。 This book couldn't be more timely。 It covers the complete historical narrative of Russia and for those interested in politics， war studies and history， this is an essential text。 It is well written， provides excellent detail and highlights the evolution of the Russian mindset。 An excellent resource。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Brian
，
"Between 1500 and the revolution of 1917， the Russian Empire grew at an astonishing rate， 130 square kilometres on average every day。 From the nucleus of Muscovy it expanded into the world's largest territorial empire。 The history of Russia， as Kliuchevsky put it， is the 'history of a country that is colonizing itself'。"A well written and compelling examination of the common threads running through Russian history which are vital to understanding the country as it is today。 While much of Russia' "Between 1500 and the revolution of 1917， the Russian Empire grew at an astonishing rate， 130 square kilometres on average every day。 From the nucleus of Muscovy it expanded into the world's largest territorial empire。 The history of Russia， as Kliuchevsky put it， is the 'history of a country that is colonizing itself'。"A well written and compelling examination of the common threads running through Russian history which are vital to understanding the country as it is today。 While much of Russia's development is covered here， the book's modest length is not always up to the ambitious task which it has set for itself （a hole perhaps filled by the author's other， more comprehensive works）。 Nonetheless， it serves as an excellent primer for those seeking a deeper understanding of a people who have had an outsized role in shaping the world in which we live。 Where Russia goes from here has much to tell us about the conflicts that will define our future for generations to come。 。。。more
piet van genderen
，
Zeker in de huidige tijd is achtergrond informatie over Rusland belangrijk。 Hoe en waarom zijn leiders denken en handelen。 Het boek van Figes verschaft een gedetailleerd historisch overzicht， waarbij vooral de gebeurtenissen sinds begin vorige eeuw tot de verbeelding spreken。 Ben blij dat ik het boek heb gelezen。
Sarah Burton
，
An indepth look at how Russia interprets its past and how these interpretations made Russia's present and will go on to affect its future - a story as vast as the country。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Story of Russia。 An indepth look at how Russia interprets its past and how these interpretations made Russia's present and will go on to affect its future - a story as vast as the country。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Story of Russia。 。。。more
Eric
，
Figes has presented us with a modern history of Russia that one likely needs to understand in order to make any sense of the actions of Russia's current czar， Vladimir Putin。 Whether Russia comes on stage as a modern state or remains mired in feudalism is still an open question， but this history may help the reader understand the aftermath once that decision has been made。 Figes has presented us with a modern history of Russia that one likely needs to understand in order to make any sense of the actions of Russia's current czar， Vladimir Putin。 Whether Russia comes on stage as a modern state or remains mired in feudalism is still an open question， but this history may help the reader understand the aftermath once that decision has been made。 。。。more
Rachel Smith
，
As usual， excellent！ My only quibble is the last five pages， which he would've written differently if he'd had just four more months before having to submit the final revision of the chapter。 If you want to understand why the Russians have behaved the way they currently are in 2022 and you want that understanding through a historical lens， look no further than this book。 Pair it with The Whisperers， also by Figes， and you have an excellent picture of why Russians on camera say they support Putin As usual， excellent！ My only quibble is the last five pages， which he would've written differently if he'd had just four more months before having to submit the final revision of the chapter。 If you want to understand why the Russians have behaved the way they currently are in 2022 and you want that understanding through a historical lens， look no further than this book。 Pair it with The Whisperers， also by Figes， and you have an excellent picture of why Russians on camera say they support Putin 125% when most of them really don't。 。。。more
Milad Golkaram
，
Can a book be better？ I just wished this book was written a couple of decades later so there was even more chapters to read。 I enjoyed every single page。 I really see a similar political agenda in my own country （Iran） as the “sovereign democracy”。 This book is very unbiased and is a must read for our generation。 Masterpiece。
Bryan Fichter
，
The Story of Russia is by no means an exhaustive history of Russia， and it's not meant to be。 The author highlights some important themes which crop up repeatedly in Russian history， helping the reader to understand the present moment and why things in Russia don't seem to ever change。 However it feels like it was written on deadline， with a lot of short， staccato sentences。 Figes is weakest on the war in Ukraine- he says he can see no likely outcome other than a Russian victory， an assessment w The Story of Russia is by no means an exhaustive history of Russia， and it's not meant to be。 The author highlights some important themes which crop up repeatedly in Russian history， helping the reader to understand the present moment and why things in Russia don't seem to ever change。 However it feels like it was written on deadline， with a lot of short， staccato sentences。 Figes is weakest on the war in Ukraine- he says he can see no likely outcome other than a Russian victory， an assessment which has not held up well。 To be fair， most Western analysts got that wrong too。 。。。more
Hamid
，
A good primer on the history of Russia since its broad inception （interwoven with the histories of neighbouring communities and eventually neighbouring states）。 Figes does a solid job of grounding competing national myths that continue to influence politics through to today though he routinely dips into wild claims about the singularness of Russian history （"no other country" etc） which are easily countered with examples。 This is more the dramatic love of a historian for his work than any meanin A good primer on the history of Russia since its broad inception （interwoven with the histories of neighbouring communities and eventually neighbouring states）。 Figes does a solid job of grounding competing national myths that continue to influence politics through to today though he routinely dips into wild claims about the singularness of Russian history （"no other country" etc） which are easily countered with examples。 This is more the dramatic love of a historian for his work than any meaningful embellishment。 While the book is admirably short， its purview is so all-ranging that it can't possibly address key events - how they started and how they shaped history - with enough justice。 So， for example， the Soviet-Afghan war which spanned a decade， and cost the lives of tens of thousands of Soviet troops and perhaps two million Afghans， gets a single-sentence aside in the book。 And yet its implications for the Soviet economy， international status and internal cohesion were vast。 So what is focused on in the books serves some themes， usually the continuing nature of Tsar-like control on an almost teleological basis。 'Boyars' （think: 'Knights'） are routinely surfaced as a comparison for localised control over areas。 It feels like he's softly making the 'Russia requires autocratic rule as a historical inevitability' argument， tempered with interesting interpretations eg of the fall of Communism not as revolution but as a power vacuum that the Communist state。 The Chapters covering Nicholas II through to the Russian Civil War are essentially a condensed version of 'A People's Tragedy'。 I thought he'd plagiarised some familiar phrases at first because I recognised them but cross-referenced them with APT and found them。 For example， "It was not Marxism that made Lenin a revolutionary but Lenin who made Marxism revolutionary" is verbatim in APT but not referenced here。 His concluding chapter stretches right up to publication （covering a chunk of the Ukraine war）。 He handles the most recent events carefully and sensibly， covering Russia's NATO concerns as well as the aggression of its newest Tsar。 Solid read。 Should be three times as long to get the depth it's crying out for。 。。。more
Chris Thomas
，
Really good overview of Russian history （for a 300 page book）。The author connects dots about where Putin is coming from with respect to why he’s invaded Ukraine。 At times it seems as if some history is skipped or glossed over， also he doesn’t explain some terms and details。 It’s almost as if some material was cut in editing。 I was disappointed that there was not more on the Russian Empire expansion to the East。 In the current context it makes sense that the author would concentrate on Russia’s r Really good overview of Russian history （for a 300 page book）。The author connects dots about where Putin is coming from with respect to why he’s invaded Ukraine。 At times it seems as if some history is skipped or glossed over， also he doesn’t explain some terms and details。 It’s almost as if some material was cut in editing。 I was disappointed that there was not more on the Russian Empire expansion to the East。 In the current context it makes sense that the author would concentrate on Russia’s relationship and history with Europe， but i would like to have learned more about Russia’s relationship with Asia。 Overall， great intro to the full scope of Russian history from the late 900s to 2022。 。。。more
Jo
，
Winston Churchill’s famous description of Russia as “a riddle， wrapped in a mystery， inside an enigma” kept coming to mind while I read Orlando Figes’ absorbing narrative。 The Story of Russia elucidates much of the riddle， the mystery， the enigma。Nation-states like to tell stories about their origins and the glorious deeds of their rulers but perhaps no country has mythologized its history as much as Russia has。 Figes gallops through 1，000 years of Russian history - from 10th-century Kievan Rus Winston Churchill’s famous description of Russia as “a riddle， wrapped in a mystery， inside an enigma” kept coming to mind while I read Orlando Figes’ absorbing narrative。 The Story of Russia elucidates much of the riddle， the mystery， the enigma。Nation-states like to tell stories about their origins and the glorious deeds of their rulers but perhaps no country has mythologized its history as much as Russia has。 Figes gallops through 1，000 years of Russian history - from 10th-century Kievan Rus to 2022’s invasion of Ukraine - in 300 pages， examining the country’s mythology and the uses to which it has been put。 The point of the book is not to dive into Russian history in depth but to identify themes and patterns。 Figes excels at this， taking the reader back through the centuries in order to explain the hold of the Russian Orthodox Church， why Russia doesn’t really see itself as part of Europe， the deep roots and strength of the seemingly unbreakable autocratic tradition， the state’s use of repression and terror against its populace， and the country’s willingness to keep throwing its young people onto the battlefield in such large numbers。 Figes’ work makes it very clear that we can’t understand modern Russia or Vladimir Putin if we don’t acknowledge how Russia’s history and mythology have influenced the present。 William Faulkner wrote， “The past is never dead。 It’s not even past。” Yep。 。。。more
Reed Hansen
，
Russian leaders have used a mythical historical narrative to ask great sacrifices of the Russian people and justify horrific atrocities。 This is a great history of Russia in the context of explaining the events that led up to the invasion of Ukraine。 I strongly recommend it！
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