Offering a fresh perspective on Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Katharina Bluhm demonstrates how an illiberal conservative movement created in the 1990s to oppose neoliberal globalization has become a powerful anti-Western ideology that justifies Russian imperialism. Her book provides an in-depth analysis of Russian ideology, economy, and politics since the demise of the Soviet Union and reveals the societal forces that simultaneously support and challenge the Putin regime.

First published in German in late 2023, the English-language edition has been updated through 2025.

Reviews:

“The world has found a clear-eyed interpreter of contemporary Russia in Katharina Bluhm, a scholar who seamlessly combines political economy and ideological insights.” — Mitchel A. Orenstein, University of Pennsylvania

“Provides illuminating and highly important explanations of how Russia has become the state that it is today.” — Süddeutsche Zeitung

“A comprehensive study of the ideas and ideologies that have shaped Russia since 1991. Bluhm makes an important contribution to understanding Russia’s political system today and, ultimately, the war against Ukraine.” — Gwendolyn Sasse, Humboldt University of Berlin