The Return of the Russian Leviathan

By: Sergei Medvedev

Narrated by: Christopher Douyard

Russia's relationship with its neighbors and with the West has worsened dramatically in recent years. Under Vladimir Putin's leadership, the country has annexed Crimea, begun a war in Eastern Ukraine, used chemical weapons on the streets of the UK, and created an army of Internet trolls to meddle in the US presidential elections. How can we understand this apparent relapse into aggressive imperialism and militarism?

In this book, Sergei Medvedev argues that this new wave of Russian nationalism is the result of mentalities that have long been embedded within the Russian psyche. Whereas in the West, the turbulent social changes of the 1960s and a rising awareness of the legacy of colonialism have modernized attitudes, Russia has been stymied by an enduring sense of superiority over its neighbors alongside a painful nostalgia for empire. It is this infantilized and irrational worldview that Putin and others have exploited, as seen most clearly in Russia's recent foreign policy decisions, including the annexation of Crimea.

This sharp and insightful book, full of irony and humor, shows how the archaic forces of imperial revanchism have been brought back to life, shaking Russian society and threatening the outside world. It will be of great interest to anyone trying to understand the forces shaping Russian politics and society today.

©2020 Polity Press (P)2022 Tantor

Interesting book!

Good writing. Good story. I Thought the story was well read too. Would read again

Shallow and banal

The book was full of western-style left-wing talking points, even when they were completely irrelevant to Russia's affairs.

For example: Donald Trump is a chauvinist and has a terrible sense of taste. Now, I have no sympathy at all for the orange guy, but how on Earth is this relevant to anything regarding Russia?
Then we had the typical "social-justice" talking points on every second chapter. Even laughable clichés such as "the world is a huge prison for women who get penalised for not wearing makeup."

There is nothing wrong with writing a commentary on Western Partisan politics and culture wars. There is definitely a space for that. But when one does this in a book about Russia, I start thinking:
1. How is this relevant in any way? If I wanted a book by Kamala Harris, I could have chosen that. Here, I wanted an objective view of Russian affairs.

2. How can I trust the author's objectivity on Russia's topics when I see such political bias on the western front?