Why is there such a Russian focus on the Second World War? Because it’s used to justify authoritarian states, the rule of dictators like Putin and Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko.
Articles on Catherine the Great
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Francis I’s message seemed to unwittingly echo some of Vladimir Putin’s historical justifications for invading Ukraine.
Catherine II, holds a significant place in Russian history. The Great doesn’t pretend to adhere closely to the historical record.
People understand the world through the stories they are told and tell, a historian writes. In the case of the war in Ukraine, narratives can create problems.
Putin’s imperial ambitions have led him to refer to himself as a latter-day Peter the Great.
Is Catherine the Great a source of inspiration to Vladimir Putin? Her actions in Poland throughout her reign are remarkably similar to Putin’s designs on Ukraine.
The two countries have a lot of shared history, but Ukraine has a distinct and independent past.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has proved himself to be a master at summoning citizens to protest government abuses. The very words he chooses to use are part of his power.
These two powers have lurched between friendship and war for centuries.
The selection of masterpieces from the Hermitage in Russia, currently on show at the National Gallery of Victoria, can be summed up by a single word: spectacular.
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Postdoctoral Associate in History
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Professor of History, Australian Catholic University