Ilya Yablokov is a Teaching Fellow in Russian Studies at the University of Leeds.
'Fortress Russia is essential reading for anyone in the USA
and Western Europe who wants a greater understanding of how Russia
views the world. Yablokov provides key insights into the popular
politics within Putin's Russia, much of it framed by conspiracy
theories, at a time of rising populism and fearful nationalism
around the world and much of which is keyed to conspiracies
surrounding Putin himself. The book helps to reveal the dangerous
hall of mirrors in which we live.'
Mark Fenster, author of Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and
Power in American Culture and The Transparency
Fix.
'Ilya Yablokov takes us on a journey through the myriad conspiracy
theories that flourish in post-Soviet political culture. The notion
of a "subversive agency" is indeed a critical explanatory element
for Russian society that gives sense to the profound and violent
changes of the last three decades and has been opportunely
instrumentalized by the Russian authorities to consolidate their
legitimacy. Fortress Russia is a must-read for all those who wish
to understand contemporary Russia and its perception of the
world.'
Marlene Laruelle, The George Washington University
"Fortress Russia offers important insight into the origins,
functions, and nature of Russian conspiracy theories, emphasizing
continuities in their development since the Imperial period. It is
sure to be a useful resource in a wide variety of subfields within
Russian and East European Studies, while also offering
generalizable insights that expand its relevance to historians,
political scientists, and scholars of global cultural history."
The Russian Review
'Yablokov offers a convincing model of the function of
conspiracy in post-Soviet Russia.'
East-West Review
"I certainly recommend Fortress Russia, particularly
because of its contribution to the study of the toxic love affair
between populist politics and conspiracy theories in authoritarian
contexts... In a year that has catapulted QAnon to the very top of
the trash can of history, the value of Yablokov's book has risen
even more."
Eurasian Geography and Economics
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