20 Best Books On Russian History (2023 Update)

“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 reviewsfrom “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 todaythe 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.

Hailed by the los angeles times as "a brisk, exciting tour of russia's long journey from its kievan origins," russia: a history cuts through the myths and mystery that have surrounded this nation from its earliest days, with startling revelations from classified archives that until recently were not even known to exist. a distinguished team of historians has stripped away the propaganda of the past to tell the definitive story of russia, from tenth-century kiev and muscovy through empire and revolution to the fall of communism and the "new order" of the early 21st century. what emerges is a nation of extremes–of imperial opulence and abject poverty, tyrannical power and subversive resistance, artistic achievement and economic crisis, glittering cities and frozen steppes. a compelling story in its own right, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in russia and its place in the world. this new edition has been thoroughly updated to take into account developmentsunder vladimir putin.

If you want to discover the captivating history of russia, then keep reading… four captivating manuscripts in one book: russian history: a captivating guide to the history of russia, including events such as the mongol invasion, the napoleonic invasion, reforms of peter the great, the fall of the soviet union, and more ivan the terrible: a captivating guide to the first tsar of russia and his impact on russian history the russian revolution: a captivating guide to the february and october revolutions and the rise of the soviet union led by vladimir lenin and the bolsheviks the cambridge five: a captivating guide to the russian spies in britain who passed information to the soviet union during world war ii russia, or the russian federation as it is officially known, is the world's largest country and covers almost a sixth of the global landmass. the country is often associated with harsh climates and autocratic government. the shadow of communism and the cold war continues to influence global attitudes towards russia. this new captivating history book serves as an overview of russian history over the span of more than a millennium, from the foundation of the russian state by the viking prince rurik in 862 ad until the collapse of the soviet union at the end of 1991. some of the topics covered in part 1 of this book include: the foundation of rus the christianization of rus the fragmentation and subjugation of rus the rise of muscovy overthrowing the tatar yoke gathering the russian lands the birth of a dynasty the road to reform imperial majesty enlightened despotism reform and reaction war and revolution terror and upheaval the great patriotic war cold war reform and collapse and much, much more! some of the topics covered in part 2 of this book include: russia before the first tsar a lineage of heroes the birth of an emperor assassination becoming terrible the coronation of the first tsar an ambitious young ruler books and cathedrals death in the family betrayal revenge the failure of the oprichniki two killings the legacy of ivan "the terrible" and much, much more! some of the topics covered in part 3 of this book include: twilight of the tsars the midnight train dual power return from exile the july days the abortive coup ten days that shook the world peace, land, and bread defending the revolution some of the topics covered in part 4 of this book include: the undeniable attraction of marxism students of prestige anthony blunt: teacher, lover, recruiter burgess: a mole within the bbc maclean and the spanish civil war world war ii: espionage between allies enigma, bombe, and colossus espionage and the battle of kursk project venona allied insurgents in albania the downfall of the cambridge five and much, much more! so if you want to learn more about the history of russia, click the "add to cart" button!

Accessible to students, tourists, and general readers alike, this book provides a broad overview of russian history since the ninth century. paul bushkovitch emphasizes the enormous changes in the understanding of russian history resulting from the end of the soviet union in 1991. since then, new material has come to light on the history of the soviet era, providing new conceptions of russia's pre-revolutionary past. the book traces not only the political history of russia, but also developments in its literature, art, and science. bushkovitch describes well-known cultural figures, such as chekhov, tolstoy, and mendeleev in their institutional and historical contexts. though the 1917 revolution, the resulting soviet system, and the cold war were a crucial part of russian and world history, bushkovitch presents earlier developments as more than just a prelude to bolshevik power.

20th-century russian history comes to life through six generations of a family in their moscow apartment the apartment: a century of russian history explains the true history of 20th-century russia through the fictitious story of a moscow family and their apartment. the muromtsev family have been living in the same apartment for more than a century, generation after generation. readers are taken through different rooms and witness how each generation actually lived alongside the larger social and political changes that russia experienced. a search-and-find element has readers looking for objects from page to page to see which items were passed down through the generations. beautifully illustrated with minute details, this book helps readers engage with russia's history in an all new way. the book includes a timeline, glossary, bibliography, and index.

"during the first two months of 1917 russia was still a romanov monarchy. eight months later the bolsheviks stood at the helm. they were little known to anybody when the year began, and their leaders were still under indictment for state treason when they came to power. you will not find another such sharp turn in history especially if you remember that it involves a nation of 150 million people. this book reveals, from the perspective of one of its central actors, the russian revolution's profoundly democratic, emancipatory character. originally published in three parts, trotsky's masterpiece is collected here in a single volume. it serves as the most vital and inspiring record of the russian revolution to date. "[t]he greatest history of an event that i know." –c. r. james "justly celebrated as a towering, vivid, historically vital work." –china miéville,october "in trotsky all passions were aroused, but his thought remained calm and his vision clear…. his involvement in the struggle, far from blurring his sight, sharpens it…. the history is his crowning work, both in scale and power and as the fullest expression of his ideas on revolution. as an account of a revolution, given by one of its chief actors, it stands unique in world literature." –isaac deutscher

A comprehensive guide to the history and culture of russia. – the history of russia, the world's largest nation from its early beginnings in the ninth century when rurik, a varangian king, established the first russian state near kiev, to the current presidency of vladimir putin is extensive and fascinating. – detailing the social, economic, and political changes and crises that the people of russia have had to endure, a brief history of russia provides a comprehensive and accessible account of this vast country's history. a chronology, bibliography, suggested reading, and other helpful features enrich this invaluable book. – coverage includes: the conquest and rule of russia by the mongol golden horde the reign of terror by ivan the terrible the start of modernization under peter the great the rise to the center of european power under catherine the great – the russian revolution and the emergence of the superpower soviet union the disintegration of the soviet union vladimin putin's terms as president and his plans for the country's future.

From the carpathians in the west to the greater khingan range in the east, a huge, flat expanse dominates the eurasian continent. here, over more than a thousand years, the history and destiny of russia have unfolded. in a sweeping narrative, one of the english-speaking world's leading historians of russia follows this story from the first emergence of the slavs in the historical record in the sixth century c.e. to the russians' persistent appearances in today's headlines. hosking's is a monumental story of competing legacies, of an enormous power uneasily balanced between the ideas and realities of asian empire, european culture, and byzantine religion; of a constantly shifting identity, from kievan rus to muscovy to russian empire to soviet union to russian federation, and of tsars and leaders struggling to articulate that identity over the centuries. with particular attention to non-russian regions and ethnic groups and to russia's relations with neighboring polities, hosking lays out the links between political, economic, social, and cultural phenomena that have made russia what it is — a world at once familiar and mysterious to western observers. in a clear and engaging style, he conducts us through the mongol invasions, the rise of autocracy, the reigns of ivan the terrible and peter the great, the battle against napoleon, the emancipation of the serfs, the crimean war, the bolshevik revolution, stalin's reign of terror, the two world wars, the end of the ussr, to today's war against chechnya. hosking's history is shot through with the understanding that becoming an empire has prevented russia from becoming a nation and has perpetuated archaic personal forms of power. this book is the most penetrating and comprehensive account yet of what such a legacy has meant — to russia, and to the world.

On the brink of the 100th anniversary of the russian revolution, read the most vivid, moving, and comprehensive history of the events that changed the worldit is history on an epic yet human scale. vast in scope, exhaustive in original research, written with passion, narrative skill, and human sympathy, a people's tragedy is a profound account of the russian revolution for a new generation. many consider the russian revolution to be the most significant event of the twentieth century. distinguished scholar orlando figes presents a panorama of russian society on the eve of that revolution, and then narrates the story of how these social forces were violently erased. within the broad stokes of war and revolution are miniature histories of individuals, in which figes follows the main players' fortunes as they saw their hopes die and their world crash into ruins. unlike previous accounts that trace the origins of the revolution to overreaching political forces and ideals, figes argues that the failure of democracy in 1917 was deeply rooted in russian culture and social history and that what had started as a people's revolution contained the seeds of its degeneration into violence and dictatorship. a people's tragedy is a masterful and original synthesis by a mature scholar, presented in a compelling and accessibly human narrative.

Mark galeotti takes us behind the myths to the heart of the russian story, covering key moments such as: the formation of a nation through its early legends, including ivan the terrible and catherine the great the rise and fall of the romanovs, the russian revolution, the cold war, chernobyl and the soviet union the arrival of an obscure politician named vladimir putin and his ambitions for russia a short history of russia explores the history of this fascinating, extraordinary, desperate and exasperating country through two intertwined issues: the way successive influences from beyond its borders have shaped russia, and the way russians came to terms with this influence, writing and rewriting their past to understand their present and try to shape their future. in turn, this self-invented history has come to affect not just their constant nation-building project but also their relations with the world.

From the author of a people's tragedy, an original reading of the russian revolution, examining it not as a single event but as a hundred-year cycle of violence in pursuit of utopian dreamsin this elegant and incisive account, orlando figes offers an illuminating new perspective on the russian revolution. while other historians have focused their examinations on the cataclysmic years immediately before and after 1917, figes shows how the revolution, while it changed in form and character, nevertheless retained the same idealistic goals throughout, from its origins in the famine crisis of 1891 until its end with the collapse of the communist soviet regime in 1991. figes traces three generational phases: lenin and the bolsheviks, who set the pattern of destruction and renewal until their demise in the terror of the 1930s; the stalinist generation, promoted from the lower classes, who created the lasting structures of the soviet regime and consolidated its legitimacy through victory in war; and the generation of 1956, shaped by the revelations of stalin's crimes and committed to "making the revolution work" to remedy economic decline and mass disaffection. until the very end of the soviet system, its leaders believed they were carrying out the revolution lenin had begun.with the authority and distinctive style that have marked his magisterial histories, figes delivers an accessible and paradigm-shifting reconsideration of one of the defining events of the twentieth century.

Now, in natasha's dance, internationally renowned historian orlando figes does the same for russian culture, summoning the myriad elements that formed a nation and held it together.beginning in the eighteenth century with the building of st. petersburg–a "window on the west"–and culminating with the challenges posed to russian identity by the soviet regime, figes examines how writers, artists, and musicians grappled with the idea of russia itself–its character, spiritual essence, and destiny. he skillfully interweaves the great works–by dostoevsky, stravinsky, and chagall–with folk embroidery, peasant songs, religious icons, and all the customs of daily life, from food and drink to bathing habits to beliefs about the spirit world. figes's characters range high and low: the revered tolstoy, who left his deathbed to search for the kingdom of god, as well as the serf girl praskovya, who became russian opera's first superstar and shocked society by becoming her owner's wife. like the european-schooled countess natasha performing an impromptu folk dance in tolstoy's war and peace, the spirit of "russianness" is revealed by figes as rich and uplifting, complex and contradictory–a powerful force that unified a vast country and proved more lasting than any russian ruler or state.

The full and fascinating story of russia, from its founding in the waning years of the tenth century to its resurgence of wealth and power in the early years of the twenty-first, skillfully tracing the conundrums of modern russia to their roots in its troubled past. covering politics, music, literature and art, the author explores the myths russians have created from their history and explains the nation's seemingly split personality — dust jacket flap.

The full and fascinating story of russia, from its founding in the waning years of the tenth century to its resurgence of wealth and power in the early years of the twenty-first, skillfully tracing the conundrums of modern russia to their roots in its troubled past. covering politics, music, literature and art, the author explores the myths russians have created from their history and explains the nation's seemingly split personality — dust jacket flap.

This is a short history of russia from the maeotians of 3.000 b.c. to the arrival of putin. it is written with passion, clarity and a touch of humor. this history book is written for the general reader who wants to know the basics of russian history. it is 80,000 words long.

Charles halperin's classic work of medieval russian history, the tatar yoke, presented for the first time a comprehensive analysis of all major texts of old russian literature pertaining to russo-tatar relations. halperin integrated the findings both of textologists and literary specialists about the history and evolution of the monuments and of orientalists about the golden horde. from these varied disciplinary perspectives he created a new historical context for interpreting russian perceptions of the tatars, the ideology of silence.the present volume is a corrected reprint of the original 1986 edition, with a new index created to enhance the volume's usability. after nearly two decades out of print, during which time readers have been driven to consulting rare book dealers, the work is once again conveniently available to a new generation of russian historians.

"on the centenary of the russian revolution, jonathan daly and leonid trofimov have reinvigorated the study of a turning point in world history. instead of rehashing the internal dynamics of the bolshevik takeover, the authors have carefully juxtaposed the international ambitions of the bolsheviks with the revolution's reception around the world. daly and trofimov pair their lucid introductory essay with documents from soviet officials, intellectuals in south america, w. e. b. du bois in the united states, and others, so readers will quickly realize how revolutionary ideas cross oceans and transcend geopolitical boundaries. this volume thus takes a topic once reserved for students of russian history and places it in a world historical perspective; those interested in global history, european history, and, of course, those fascinated by events in petrograd and moscow will find ample sources of inspiration in this text. as the russian federation is now exerting its influence on a global scale, the time is ripe to consider the russian revolution in such broad terms." –nigel raab, loyola marymount university

This first volume of the cambridge history of russia covers the period from early ('kievan') rus' to the start of peter the great's reign in 1689. it surveys the development of russia through the mongol invasions to the expansion of the muscovite state in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and deals with political, social, economic and cultural issues under the riurikid and early romanov rulers. the volume is organised on a primarily chronological basis, but a number of general themes are also addressed, including the bases of political legitimacy; law and society; the interactions of russians and non-russians; and the relationship of the state with the orthodox church. the international team of authors incorporates the latest russian and western scholarship and offers an authoritative new account of the formative 'pre-petrine' period of russian history, before the process of europeanisation had made a significant impact on society and culture.

This used book is in very good condition. "advanced russian through history" is a russian reader for students working towards advanced and superior level proficiency in russian. the book consists of thirty-six chapters focusing on the history of russia, from kievan rus' to the post-soviet era. each chapter is accompanied by a corresponding minilecture and related learning tasks on the web. the learning tasks are designed to promote students' abilities to understand and produce argument in the style of scholarly discourse, both in speech and in writing.

Revolutionary russia: a history in documents provides a visually stimulating survey of revolutionary russia, from the collapse of the autocracy in 1917 to the consolidation of the stalinist system in the 1930s. authors robert weinberg and laurie bernstein have collected far-flung documents–many available in english for the first time–and woven them into a narrative that focuses on the effort to build communism in russia and its effects on the lives of ordinary people. providing introductions to each chapter and document along with sidebars and detailed photo captions, the main text tantalizes readers with the great vision, conflict, hopes, and horrors of this much-mythologized part of modern history, while the back matter offers resources for further exploration. utilizing a mix of textual and visual documents-including photographs, posters, and objects-to create a textured history of revolutionary russia, the book covers such diverse topics as the prelude to revolution, the bolshevik rise to power, the fate of the royal family, peasant resistance to bolshevik policies, stalin's "revolution from above," and the great terror. a picture essay, featuring sixteen posters, provides a visual depiction of the impact of the revolution on women.