Tans Lecture | The Historical Origins and Mythologies of Putin’s War against Ukraine | Prof. Figes

Putin’s war against Ukraine is based on a view of history that has deep roots in the Russian consciousness. Putin’s 2021 essay on the 'Historical Unity of the Russians and Ukrainians’ - in effect his declaration of the war - is consistent with nineteenth-century Russian imperial historiography, which continues to inform the Russian view of Ukraine and the West.
In this lecture, the famous British historian and award-winning writer Orlando Figes, known for his works on Russian history, will unpack the ideas of this historiography and explain their influence in the context of Russia’s own experience since 1991.
Orlando Figes is the author of ten books on Russian and European history which have been translated into over thirty languages. In September 2022 he published The Story of Russia, a general history of Russia from the earliest times to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Other books include: The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia; Just Send Me Word; Crimea: The Last Crusade; The Europeans: Three Lives and the Making of a Cosmopolitan Culture.
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The Tans Lecture is organised every year to honour Dr. J. Tans (1912-1993), the founding father of Maastricht University.

[@daytonnobody]

Mr. Joll, on behalf of all barbarians I thank you.

[@francescampell2640]

I'm not even twenty minutes in and the tacit implications of what a state is or is not (tax collecting warriors? What else is a state?), what Europe is (what is Europe if not a place where several cultures melt into a distinct other one with connections from Byzantion to Scandinavia? Is Europe only Britain, France and Germany for him?) and, not least, the typical ignorance about the importance of antiquity and medieval history for the understanding of our recent world so common in people like him; newer and newest history is just the very tip of an iceberg he blithedly dismisses. King Alfred is no less important to understand modern Britain than Rishi Sunak is. To reduce him to a quaint children's story, as he reduces the Rus to a bunch of nebulous slave traders nobody knows anything about, betrays only one thing: A narrow-minded, wilful ignorance in Professor Figes. I understand he is retired now as a professor, but surely he could have popped down some doors at his former university and find some actual experts on early medieval history who could tell him something of substance, beyond burned cakes and "print" in the 12th century. Because if his argument is that both sides are misusing history, then he jolly well ought to KNOW and TEACH the actual history, and not just dismiss it like this.

[@kashmirha]

Honestly I do not understand why the west is not staring to support Ukraine better. Yes, they got a lot, and that is good, but the Ukraine supporter countries have to spin up their millitary production to enable Ukraine to win back their territories or effectively protect Ukraine.

[@notsocrates9529]

Why is this my problem as a Westerner? Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Palestine are not my people nor my concern.

[@ZlejChleba]

@@notsocrates9529 that's the line a lot of people in the West used around the time of the Munich agreement in 1938 - they just abandoned Czechoslovakia. And look what happened afterwards.I'm not saying it's a perfect comparison, but there are many similar points and frankly, do you want to risk another european war just because you think Ukraine is not your problem?

[@marcgrant2225]

much of your talk is as much polemic as history. that said a real historiography is there isn’t a country on the planet that would allow a hostile foreign military residence along its borders if they would have the option to stop it. russia has that option and as expected has taken it.