Russia: The "Evil Empire": From the Golden Horde to the Modern War

Russia: The "Evil Empire" – From the Golden Horde to the Modern War is a bold and deeply researched exploration of Russia’s imperial obsession—an obsession rooted not in recent history, but in centuries of authoritarian tradition, expansionism, and cultural appropriation.

This gripping third volume in the acclaimed Epicenters of Global Politics series uncovers how modern Russia, far from being a misunderstood post-Soviet state, is in fact the latest incarnation of a long-standing imperial project born from the legacy of the Golden Horde and fueled by the myth of Kyivan Rus'. From Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin, this book follows the autocratic arc of Russian power and its enduring strategy of conquest, subjugation, and revisionist propaganda.

With powerful illustrations and a critical lens, this book challenges widely held assumptions about Russia’s past and present. It argues that Russia’s war on Ukraine is not a break from the past—but its continuation.

📖 Inside you'll discover:

- How Muscovy rose through collaboration with the Mongol-Tatar Horde

- Why the appropriation of the name "Russia" was a political invention by Peter the Great

- The myth of "shared Slavic brotherhood" and the false narrative of Kyivan Rus' as Russia’s origin

- How modern Russian ideology recycles imperial dogmas to justify war and occupation

- The long historical arc that connects Ivan IV to Putin’s 21st-century aggression

Perfect for readers of political history, international affairs, and those seeking to understand the deeper roots of today's most urgent geopolitical crisis.