#007 - The Kennan Institute's Founding Director Looks Back with S. Frederick Starr

In this episode of The Long View, Michael Kimmage is joined by S. Frederick Starr, founding director of the Kennan Institute, for a wide ranging conversation about his memoir Blue Skies: My Life in Many Worlds.

Starr reflects on the places and experiences that shaped his scholarly career, the founding of the Kennan Institute in 1974, and the role of cultural history in understanding Russia, the Soviet Union, and the post Soviet space. The discussion highlights how institutions are created, how academic fields develop, and why long view thinking remains vital for public understanding.

A thoughtful reflection on memory, scholarship, and the intellectual foundations of the Kennan Institute.