History as Therapy: Alternative History and Nationalist Imaginings in Russia

This astonishing book explores the delusional imaginings of Russia`s past by the pseudo-scientific `Alternative History´ movement. Despite the chaotic collapse of two empires in the last century, Russia`s glorious imperial past continues to inspire millions. The lively movement of `Alternative History´, diligently re-writing Russia`s past and `rediscovering´ its hidden greatness, has been growing dramatically since the collapse of Communism in 1991. Virtually unknown in the West, these pseudo-historians have published best-selling books, attracted widespread media attention, and are a prominent voice in Internet discussions about Russian and world history. Alternative History claims that Russia is much older than Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome; that the medieval Mongol Empire was in fact a Slav-Turk world empire; and that, in the twentieth century, duplicitous foreign powers stabbed Russia in the back and stole its empire. For its followers the key to Russia`s greatness in the future lies in ensuring that Russians understand the true wealth of their past. Alternative history has become a popular therapy for Russians still coming to terms with the reality of Post-Soviet life. It is one of the forces shaping a new Russian nationalism and an important factor in the geopolitics of the twenty-first century.

Dr Konstantin Sheiko studied Law and History at the Moscow Institute of Economics, Politics and Law before receiving a Master`s in International Relations from the United States International University and a Ph. D. in History from the University of Wollongong, Australia. Dr Stephen Brown teaches Russian History at the University of Wollongong.

Praise for Sheiko`s "Nationalist Imaginings of the Russian Past": "Sheiko`s work marks a milestone in the analysis of one of the main currents of contemporary Russian nationalist thought, hitherto quite unknown to scholars." international Affairs