An accessible account of the history of Russia, albeit a brief one. The overall impression I get is of a rather sparse and uni-dimensional history, compared with, say, our own in the subcontinent, with its numerous dynasties, philosophies, religions, languages and literatures. Russian history, like its landscapes, seems so dreary and self-damagingly futile, an impression only reinforced by the current misadventure with Ukraine, the latter by all accounts the source and fount of Russian civilization. The general air of penury is all the more surprising, when one thinks of the great flowering of Russian literature in the 19th century, with great names like Tolstoy, Gogol, Turgenev, Chekov, etc. part of our everyday sensibility. However, the account does throw some light on the nature of Russia's engagement with Europe, and the extreme sensitivity to any intimations of independence in the regions the Russians seem to think belongs to the central Russian sphere, e.g. Belorus, Ukraine, Caucasus, etc. ( )

Orlando Figes writes the best books about Russia and I liked this one very much.

History, like every academic discipline, is fraught with jealousy and backbiting. Don't get involved in it. The New York Times review of "The Story of Russia" damns with faint praise and somehow puts the book down because Figes is covering old ground. Phooey. This book sets out to explain to the general reader how Russia came to be as it is. Of course Figes has written about this before. He's an academic historian who has been writing books and articles about Russia for decades. Not everyone will agree with him. Don't worry about that. There are enough reputable people who like this book that we can be reassured that we are not poisoning our mind with junk.

"The Story of Russia" is a stand alone book that traces the national myth of the Russian people for the past 1000+ years up to Putin. It helped me sort out the relationship between the Kievan Rus and the Russians (not the same) and the basis of Putin's crackpot idea of Russian destiny. It's also a pleasure to read.

And if you haven't read any other books by Orlando Figes, try "Natasha's Dance". ( )

Interesting. Figes sees Russia as held together by a set of mythologies about language, ethnicity, and culture, and a consequently mythologized view of its own history. Fascinating to read. Btw, he is not at all optimistic about the situation in Ukraine. ( )

Topical indeed. Nothing close to, Natasha's Dance, but Figes explores the myths and their beginnings and how such myths have been used by Russia as well as Ukraine to inspire morale. Figes is at his best when he compares myth to the facts, or to rebut those myths with what facts we possess. I would suggest Natasha's Dance (by Figes) as part of any reading on Russia. ( )

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. ( )