A good book to get a fairly extensive overview of the history of Russia. The history of Russia is vast and complex so even an overview told in this way for the non-academic is a long and convoluted story. A few maps and footnotes would be helpful as frequently got distracted by looking up locations and certain terms on the Internet. The book is really focussed on why current day Russians view their countries as they do and this is interesting in the light of the current conflict with Ukraine.

This is a well researched and balanced presentation by Orlando Figes of the complicated and varied history of Russia. The content reflects the hours that must have been spent to complete it yet though crammed with facts and detail, the narrative flows to maintain reader interest. So many points are raised and the reader is left to draw conclusions of their own but the overall picture seems to support the ‘Russian way’ we think we know, huge successes often at equally huge cost.
The book gives an idea of the size and scale of the country, yet either despite of or because of its wealth of resources, it has always felt under threat. There are so many snippets to learn along the way, for example it had never occurred to me that the rampaging Mongol horde had no interest in vast forests and timber as a resource, plentiful in Russia only the grassland and steppes. Of course, that not makes perfect sense as their lifestyle did not centre on homes, cities or ships…obvious when pointed out.
I would recommend this book as a reference for anyone interested in the history of this hugely diverse country, maybe understanding the past aids our understanding of today.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this.

The Story of Russia written by Orlando Figes reflects deep scholarship and great storytelling. Masterfully Figes takes the reader on journeys through history. From the crowing of sixteen year old Ivan the Terrible to Catherine the Great arresting her husband at his palace, to the last days of Romanovs, Figes story telling is immaculate and elegant. Truly a work of art reflecting a lifetime of scholarship, the Story of Russia is a masterpiece!

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.

This was a great history book. It goes into great detail of Russian history. It focuses on the country's politics, leaders, conflict and its need for power. I don't know that much about Russia. So I learnt alot from reading it and felt this is a brilliant book to read in this current climate. I loved how well the author explained things. It flowed so well in chronological order. It definitely fascinated me. It was a very eye opening read. I feel like I understand more about what it's like in a communist state. I definitely recommend reading this if you are interested in Russia or just want a better understanding about the history that has lead up to the present day issues. It certainly made me understand the lead up to the war. It makes for a very interesting and equally shocking history. I just need to mention how much I loved the simplicity of the cover. If we all think about Russia show definitely springs to mind. Cold in more ways than one.

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fascinating history of a very difficult country to understand. I'm sure that this book will be loved by many. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-story-of-russia-by-orlando-figes-bloomsbury-publishers-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

This is a superbly readable book, simplifying many of the myths of centuries of Russian and Soviet history. It depicts a country that has never quite managed what is its most suited form of government and concludes by calling it a state in decline at the present time. It reveals many probably unexpected weaknesses in it capacity to mount aggression or indeed to defend itself. It political uncertainty is counterbalanced by its well educated population. This story of Russia takes the reader carefully through every stage of Russian and Soviet development giving evidence for its conclusions and enough detail to make it reliable. It is a very good read and I recommend it.

A timely and concise non-fiction book about a fascinating country. This actually is the 'story of Russia', told through history, folklore and mythology, telling of the forming and beliefs of Russia. Unlike an encyclopaedia, this is a book that requires a linear reading to truly see how modern Russia has developed through time.

It starts with Viking settlers and Norse sagas, covers the saints and legendary characters through to the Mongols, the 1917 Revolution and key historical people such as Catherine the Great, Napoleon, Stalin, and Vladimir the Terrible to Putin. I particularly liked the description and significance of the geographical regions.

This is a very accessible book for the non-historian and provides a broad sweep of the essential Russian history and character. As an added bonus, a further reading list is included for those who wish to develop their knowledge in a particular area. Well written by a Russia expert, this book will appeal to those who wish to know a bit of the background to the war in Ukraine. Recommended.

The Story of Russia tackles the history of this vast country in a way that is accessible, informative and relevant.

History is a story we tell from the present, and Figes shows how in Russia, it's a story that has been reframed and reimagined over centuries in a way that best suits the parties in power at the time. Every country does this to a certain extent, but in Russia having the power of the storyteller has always been decisive.

This means it's difficult to understand the Russian sense of national identity without being aware of its past. Century by century, Figes explores history as told by Russia and from a Western perspective. He covers a lot of ground, but his easy to read style makes it easy to follow, especially as he picks up on trends and interpretations.

This is not just a history, but an unravelling of the myths that make Russia today.

A totally up to date account of Russia's back story, giving you a greater insight into recent events. An accurate and unbiased view. Well worth a read.

I was offered this book as an ARC via NetGalley. With current events as they are, I was interested in learning more about Russian history as I had studied the revolution in school. Figes book taught me a lot about that period that I hadn't learnt in my GCSEs but more than that, it gave an overview of the history prior that is far more complex than I had appreciated. Understanding the mythology that has been built around the history of Russia helps to appreciate the perspective of its citizens. An interesting and accessible read that makes me want to read around the history of Russia even further.

It's never easy to write history books almost as they are happening, but in the Story of Russia, Orlando Figes has written an excellent Concise History of Russia and brought it bang up to date. There are numerous insights that I have not read anywhere else, attempting to explain what English readers don't usually understand about Russia and the Russian people.

I would recommend anyone who has an interest in what is happening in Russia, and let's face it everybody should, to read this book while it is still bang up to date.

If you haven't managed to read this yet don't worry it will still be in date for a while yet.

Congratulations to Orlando for a great book and my thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review.

If you have a desire to understand Putin's Russia today, rooted in its past of myths, then you just have to read Figes's fascinating book

It's all the notorious characters in the troubled, complex story of Russia that make this book so fascinating. Ivan the Terrible, Catherine the Great, Napoleon's influence, Stalin and their part in Russian history make for a great read.

If you have ever wondered about the history of Russia then you must read this book.
Orlando Figes gives an accurate account and without bias over the last thousand years of the country and its leaders.
Figes has written the book excellently so it reads more as a story than a reference book.
I have learned more about Russia and it's history by reading this book than I ever did at school!
The last few chapters gives the reader an account of Putin in the years following up to the invasion of Ukraine. It also gives the view point from both the western and Russian point of view.
Exceptionally written.

I love this book, very interesting looking at the history of Russia and present day Russia. at first it was a little frustrating when the author would say there were now going to look at the past but then would add in things about present day Russia but I got used to it. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in Russia and its history and wanted to understand how it became the country it is today.

The Story of Russia is a brilliant, up to date account of the development of Russia over the past thousand years. The author, Orlando Figes, is an acknowledged expert on the subject and the book has been written as a story to be read in total, rather than just to be just dipped into for reference.
I particularly enjoyed the last section which gives an illuminating account of the Putin years up to the eve of his invasion of Ukraine from both the Western and Russian viewpoint. The Story of Russia is an engrossing read and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone who wants to understand the background to the current conflict in Ukraine.

Want to understand more about Russia? If you’re looking to improve your understanding of Putin’s Russia, the role of myths in the many revisions of their history and how Ukraine sits in this story, you won’t go far wrong with Orlando Figes newest book out 1st September.

It’s his seventh book on Russia, so I think we can say he’s fairly expert on the subject and his writing is accessible to non-Russia experts like myself.😁

#russia #putin #ukraine #book #netgalley

<i>History of course is more complex – even if it is a story too.</i>
Confident, concise history which is not afraid to make claims of historic trends and acknowledge multiple interpretations.
Russia now comprises four geographical zones:
• Treeless Tundra, above Arctic Circle, about one-fifth of Russia’s land mass
• Taiga forest zone - pine trees, spruce and larch, interspersed with marshes, lakes and rivers
• Central Agricultural zone, rich black soil
• Pontic Steppe - semi-arid grasslands and savannas

The history is told in eleven necessarily broad brush chapters that outline chronological developments and usually concentrate on a few individual stories to bring out the important changes.

1. Origins - Kievan Rus and Byzantium’s Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Creation of myth of Holy Russia with Mary as Mother, rather than Virgin (Roman Catholic interpretation).
2. Mongol Impact - 1223 and horsemen from the east. The capture of Kiev on 6 December 1240 effectively marking the end of Kievan Rus. With the subsequent rise of Moscow as a powerful principality, although subject to the Golden Horde, it was not until 1378 that the Mongols could first be successfully challenged. <i>Today the Kulikovo victory is linked in the nationalist consciousness to other episodes when Russia’s military sacrifice ‘saved’ the West, in 1812–15 (against Napoleon) or 1941–5, for example; each time its sacrifice had been unthanked, unrecognised by its Western allies in these wars. The country’s deep resentment of the West is rooted in this national myth. </i>Although gradually weakening, Moscow remained a vassal of the khans until 1502.
3. Ivan the Terrible (1530-84) and the conquest of Khazan and Astrakhan, with an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Livonia to access the Baltic Sea. The opening up of Siberia, which was conquered by Ivan’s son
4. Time of Troubles - civil war following Ivan the Terrible’s death without a successor (he had unintentionally(?) killed his son) and choosing of a Romanov as the next Tsar.
5. Russia faces West - Catherine the Great (1762-98) embraces the European Enlightenment, to a point, and creates the West facing St Petersburg.
6. The Shadow of Napoleon - the French Revolution turns Russia away from Europe, as does Napoleon’s invasion. I found this really interesting in highlighting Russian belief that Russia was responsible for defeating Napoleon.
7. An Empire in Crisis - the problem of making Russian farming and industry efficient, with serfdom eventually abolished (1861). Some Tsars embrace European ideas, whilst others are isolationist. The build up to revolution, or break down of the autocracy, is also outlined.
8. Revolutionary Russia - the 1917 revolution, civil war and creation of the Soviet state. There are more quotable insights: <i>Throughout the peasant world Communist regimes have been built on the ambition of peasant sons to join the bureaucratic class. And plausible explanations as to the Bolsheviks success, as a: unifying goal (the defence of ‘the revolution’) with clear symbols (the Red Flag and the Red Army’s emblem, the Red Star) capable of winning mass support.</i>
9. The War on Old Russia - Stalin’s “reign”, including the Five Year Plans, disastrous large scale agricultural collectivisation (kolkholzesj, and Stalin’s paranoia leading to the progroms and show trials in the 1930’s,
10. Motherland - the pragmatic reasons behind the 1939 Soviet:Nazi non-aggression pact (but also its betrayal of ideological Communism), the massive casualty rate in the Second World War, when the timing of the invasion had been unexpected. But also the patriotism and hatred of the Nazis that allowed the country to defeat the invasion (<i>The cult of sacrifice was a more important factor than terror. It was the Soviet system’s main advantage over Western liberal societies where the loss of human life was given greater weight in the reckonings of the command</i>.). Stalin died in 1953, to be followed by Krushchev, Brezhnev (1964), Andropov (1982), Chernenko (1984), and Gorbachev (1985), with the break up of the USSR.
11. Ends - discussion of the rise of Putin and how the potential for a more “Western liberal” government was lost, the possible missed chances, perhaps caused by the “West’s” understanding of Russia.

I found this narrative really useful to gain some understanding of modern Russia as throughout the book Figes highlights how Russian society was different from other European countries, and how some of these differences might explain the Russian public’s acquiescence to Putin’s current aggression to other countries. Recommended.

This whistle-stop tour through hundreds of years of Russian history has probably taken on more resonance and perked the interest of more readers than Figes probably imagined due to recent events in Ukraine (2022). Indeed, the final paragraphs of this work seem especially prescient in their forewarning of future events.

This work, being a whistle stop tour, does not do every era full justice, but this is not a criticism. The end notes provide details of other books if you wish to pursue a particular rabbit hole of Russian history. Figes spends more time in the twentieth century in this book than the previous centuries, but he draws enough parallels and shows us the connective tissue between Putin and those rulers of old whose ideology and iconography Putin has adapted to make every section here absolutely vital.

As Figes notes near the end of this work, there are now hundreds of works which deal with Putin-era Russia, and doubtless there will be thousands more to come. This book is great introduction to that era and more besides, and is an expert primer to a country with whom we are all familiar, but about whose internal life we are unfamiliar. Great stuff.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the book I've been wanting to read about Russia - and Figes is exactly the right person to write it. While this does sweep through the history of the country, the real focus, and what makes this so timely and fascinating, is that it doesn't just tell what happens, but how the cultural myth-making of 'Russia' runs alongside, and sometimes over, the historical material narrative. This is about how 'Russia' thinks of itself, how it creates its ideological and mythical narratives and what those flashpoints are and have been across millennia, all the way up to the present. Given our current urgency to understand what is happening and how, Figes traces myths of 'Holy Russia' and the deep desire for a patriarchal figure to dominate and control: from the Tsars to Stalin to Putin, to the place of religious patriotism, and the almost masochistic sense of sublimation. This isn't just the story of Russia but the stories that Russia has seemingly always told itself.