#020 - Kievan Rus Is Ours: National Memory and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Michael Kimmage is joined by sociologist Ekaterina Klimenko and Alicja Curanovic, Professor at the University of Warsaw, for a discussion on the role of Kievan Rus in contemporary Russian politics and the ways historical narratives shape national identity, state legitimacy, and foreign policy.

The conversation examines how Russia’s political leadership has drawn on medieval history to construct a vision of national continuity, why Kievan Rus occupies such a central place in Russian historical memory, and how competing claims to that legacy have become intertwined with Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Topics include national memory, post-Soviet identity, Russian nationalism, the political use of history, and the contested legacy of Kievan Rus.

A production of the Kennan Institute.