Russia Against Modernity

Alexander Etkind is a professor at the Central European University in Vienna.

“Etkind situates Putin’s 2022 war in a much bigger story about Russian history and the country’s role as a major oil producer in a world facing a climate crisis. A concise book packed with big ideas.”Shaun Walker, The Guardian"a sophisticated and sustained critique of Putin’s Russia… Etkind has published an important essay that stimulates rational thinking about fundamental issues that affect us all."Eurasian Geography and Economics“The most thought-provoking of the new crop of books about the war in Ukraine is Alexander Etkind’s quick and incisive Russia Against Modernity.”The New York Times“Etkind combines brevity and playfulness with a degree of erudition that other works covering the Russia–Ukraine conflict seldom manage.” Jon Richardson, Inside Story“Etkind charges through the corrupt and kleptocratic history of the Putin-era state, deftly traversing complex theoretical ground … Even the most antagonistic reader will find the work thought-provoking.”Ian Garner, The Russian Review"[T]he book makes for a fine and accessible read, with its clarity of language and cross-cutting emphasis on nature."International Affairs

• IntroductionChapter 1. Modernity in the Age of AnthropoceneChapter 2. PetrostateChapter 3. Parasitic governanceChapter 4. The So-Called EliteChapter 5. The Public SphereChapter 6. Gender and DegenerationChapter 7. Putin’s WarChapter 8. Defederating RussiaEndnotesIndex