Overview

Not so long ago, Russia under Putin appeared to be a corrupt state run by an elite mainly interested in their own privileges and wealth: authoritarian but not fundamentally expansionist. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine made it clear that Putin is driven by far more than simply greed. Putin's Russia is, Andrei Kolesnikov argues, in the grip of intense ideological radicalization, seeking to mobilize its population in support of a form of chauvinistic neo-imperialism using increasingly totalitarian methods. This march towards ""hybrid totalitarianism"" is driven by a messianic view of Russia as a superior, ""spiritual"" form of ""state-civilization"" underpinned by its Orthodox faith and hatred of Western ""decadence."" Based upon a falsified version of history and a profound hostility to modernization, this ideology is making Russia an international pariah and condemning its citizens to endless war and economic stagnation. The only hope for redemption is a profound moral regeneration which redefines the nation's place in the world and embraces the spirit of democracy. This incisive analysis of the ideological dynamics of late Putinism, written by a leading Russian scholar and journalist, is an indispensable guide to understanding the country's recent descent into war-mongering barbarism.

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9781509568154

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Reviews

""This book is not only an intellectual tour de force but also a document of the epoch, a testimony written by Jonah from the belly of the Leviathan. Kolesnikov's analytic acumen and a keen sense of Russian culture and history go hand in hand with civil courage."" Sergei Medvedev, Charles University, Prague, author of the Return of the Russian Leviathan and A War Made in Russia ""Andrei Kolesnikov possesses the rare gift of telling the truth with clarity and insight. The Closing of the Russian Mind stands out as one of the few accounts of Putin's Russia destined to endure the test of time."" Ivan Krastev, Chairman, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia ""An important and serious analysis of the hitherto underexamined ideological basis of the contemporary Russian state. It is an extremely rich and skilful work that gives a brilliant insight into the nature of Russian official propaganda."" Andrei Zorin, University of Oxford

Author Information

Andrei Kolesnikov is an award-winning journalist, author, and political analyst, writing from within Russia. He was previously a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center. He has won many journalistic awards, including the Russian Golden Quill (Zolotoye Pero Rossii) Award, the Adam Smith Prize, and the 2021 Yegor Gaidar Award for outstanding contribution to the study of history.

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