Russian Conservatism

Russian Conservatism examines the history of Russian conservative thought from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. Robinson charts the contributions made by philosophers, politicians, and others during the Imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods. Looking at cultural, political, and social-economic conservatism in Russia, Russian Conservatism demonstrates that such ideas are helpful in interpreting Russia's present as well as its past and will be influential in shaping Russia's future, for better or for worse, in the years to come.

"Examines the history of Russian conservative thought from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present"--
Paul Robinson is Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is author and editor of numerous works on Russian and Soviet history, including Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, which won the Society for Military History's distinguished book award for biography.

Paul Robinson's comprehensive and timely Russian Conservatism locates contemporary Russian politics within the historical continuum of conservative thought. With a balanced, systematic approach, Robinson guides his reader through a complex and at times contradictory set of beliefs from the early 1800s to the present day.

-- "BASEES"

Robinson's fascinating book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the socio-cultural dynamic and history behind Russia's great-power ambition.

-- "The Federalist"

Paul Robinson has written a highly accessible study of Russian conservatism that extends from the early 19th century down to the present time.

-- "Chronicles"

Defining Russian conservatism is a bit like putting a jellyfish into a box, and Robinson offers an absolutely scrupulous dissection of its manifestations from 1800 to 2017. He concludes that Russian conservatism is about much more than the reactionary nationalism to which it is very often reduced; in fact, it comprises quite varied ideas about how to achieve managed, organic change and reform, while drawing on and preserving Russian culture and tradition.

-- "Times Literary Supplement"

Paul Robinson's engaging new book...traces the multivalent, paradoxical, and circuitous developments of Russian conservatism from this inceptionary moment to its articulations in present-day Russia by examining an array of responses to key events in modern Russian and European history.

-- "The Russian Review"

Professor Robinson writes fluidly and engagingly about his topic; Russian Conservatism is a magisterial work, and a must-read for students of Russia's past as well as those of her present, and certainly those eager to divine her future.

-- "New Books Network"

Russia watchers tend to focus on Putin's authoritarianism and expansionist sphere-of-influence projects. But Robinson argues that Russian conservatism requires increased scholarly attention because it has become a salient aspect of post-communist Russia. Among this book's notable contributions are ideational cameos of little-known Russian conservative thinkers.

-- "Choice"