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.