Dave interviews Dina Khapaeva, Russian culture expert at Georgia Tech, about the book "Third Empire: Russia as it ought to be," written by Mikhail Yuriev, one of the authors of Project Russia, which we have also covered in the last two episodes.
Dina specializes in Russian historical memory and contemporary issues. She provides an in-depth background on her research and her personal history, including her family's experience with Stalinist terror. The discussion focuses on the troubling, far-right ideologies that have been shaping Russia's political strategy, particularly explored through the lens of Mikhail Yuryev's novel 'Third Empire, The Russia That Ought To Be' and the Project Russia texts. Dr. Penkrmanova explains how these narratives, rooted in neo-Eurasianist ideology and medieval Russian history, inform Putin's geopolitics and expansionist aims. The conversation also touches on the implications of these ideologies for Western policymakers and the political landscape, emphasizing the urgent need to recognize and respond to these Russian ambitions.
The Utopian Russian Novel that Predicted Putin's War Plan, March 26, 2022
The West Doesn't Realize How Much Danger It's In, August 24, 2022
Putin's Dark Ages, 2023
Dina Khapaeva website
00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
00:17 Early Career and Shift to Sociology
01:00 Focus on Historical Memory
02:24 Current Role at Georgia Tech
02:59 Discussion on Mikhail Yuryev's Book
03:49 Yuryev's Influence and Political Connections
07:05 Fortress Russia and Far-Right Ideology
10:18 Neo-Eurasianism and Western Perception
19:57 Summary of 'Third Empire' Plot
23:07 Implications of Yuryev's Vision
32:04 The Devastation of War: Casualties and Destruction
32:58 Russian Ideology: Antichrist and Apocalypse
33:42 Western Perception and Putin's Strategy
34:34 The Primakov Doctrine and Nuclear Threats
38:14 Yuriev's Vision: A New Social Order
45:58 The Role of Memory Politics in Russia
51:49 Yuriev's Influence in the United States
57:21 The Patriarchal Society and Gender Issues
01:00:41 The Urgency of Recognizing the Russian Threat
01:03:10 Conclusion: The Future of Russia and Global Implications
