Russia's Postcolonial Identity

Viatcheslav Morozov is Professor of EU-Russia Studies at the University of Tartu. Before moving to Estonia in 2010, he taught for thirteen years at the St Petersburg State University, Russia. He is the author of Russia and the Others: Identity and Boundaries of a Political Community and the editor of Decentring the West: The Idea of Democracy and the Struggle for Hegemony.

“Morozov’s book is a rich and insightful study of Russia’s peculiar relations with the West. It goes to the heart of Russia’s inferiority complex vis-à-vis the West by putting it in a global context. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Russian identity, foreign policy and politics.” (Alexander Titov, Slavonic and East European Review, Vol. 96 (2), April, 2018)“The book by Viacheslav Morozov is an interesting attempt to bridge international relations with postcolonial theory in Russian studies. … The book is an informative and densely written theoretical work which undoubtedly makes a contribution to the field. Its bold engagement with postcolonial theory and acquaintance with various strands of literature make it a fascinating read. … the book presents a new perspective on Russian–European relations, which makes it a mind-bending intellectual journey.” (Vsevolod Samokhvalov, Ab Imperio, Issue 1, 2016)

• 1. The Postcolonial and the Imperial in the Space and Time of World Politics 2. Russia in/and Europe: Sources of Ambiguity 3. Material Dependency: Postcolonialism, Development and Russia's 'Backwardness' 4. Normative Dependency: Putinite Paleoconservatism and the Missing Peasant 5 The People are Speechless: Russia, the West and the Voice of the Subaltern 6. Conclusion