Russian Conservatism

Reviews / Votes

Defining Russian conservatism is a bit like putting a jellyfish into a box, and Robinson offers an absolutely scrupulous dissection of its manifestations from 1800 to 2017. He concludes that Russian conservatism is about much more than the reactionary nationalism to which it is very often reduced; in fact, it comprises quite varied ideas about how to achieve managed, organic change and reform, while drawing on and preserving Russian culture and tradition.

(Times Literary Supplement) Robinson writes fluidly and engagingly about his topic; Russian Conservatism is a magisterial work, and a must-read for students of Russia's past as well as those of her present, and certainly those eager to divine her future.

(New Books Network) Russia watchers tend to focus on Putin's authoritarianism and expansionist sphere-of-influence projects. But Robinson argues that Russian conservatism requires increased scholarly attention because it has become a salient aspect of post-communist Russia. Among this book's notable contributions are ideational cameos of little-known Russian conservative thinkers.

(Choice) Paul Robinson's engaging new book traces the multivalent, paradoxical, and circuitous developments of Russian conservatism from this inceptionary moment to its articulations in present-day Russia by examining an array of responses to key events in modern Russian and European history.

(The Russian Review) Robinson's fascinating book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the socio-cultural dynamic and history behind Russia's great-power ambition.

(The Federalist) Paul Robinson's comprehensive and timely Russian Conservatism locates contemporary Russian politics within the historical continuum of conservative thought. With a balanced, systematic approach, Robinson guides his reader through a complex and at times contradictory set of beliefs from the early 1800s to the present day.

(BASEES) Robinson's conclusion that entrenched conservative reaction is set to strengthen would seem unarguable. His book facilitates an understanding of just how conservatism has triumphed in Russia.

(Journal of European Studies) As an overview of Russia's leading conservative thinkers, Robinson's succinct survey is an excellent introduction. Those who teach courses on the history of Russian thought will be obligated to include his book in their syllabi. It will also help us understand political thinking in today's federation.

(Canadian Slavonic Papers) [F]or those interested not only in why, but how Russia's tangled intellectual garden has and might grow, Robinson's book is an important contribution.

(Russia Reviewed) This important, timely book fills a void. The book is an insightful primer, introducing readers to conservatism as a part of the ideological landscape and national conversation across two centuries.

(Slavic Review) For anyone interested in the history of conservatism in Russia, this book is invaluable, providing as it does in-depth information on conservatism in the development and transformation of Russian culture, politics, and socio-economic life. It is a very good source for future research in the study of the historical transformation of the Russian state and Russian society.

(International Journal of Russian Studies) For anyone interested in the history of conservatism in Russia, this book is invaluable, providing as it does in-depth information on conservatism in the development and transformation of Russian culture, politics, and socio-economic life. It is a very good source for future research in the study of the historical transformation of the Russian state and Russian society.

(International Journal of Russian Conservatism) What Paul Robinson accomplishes in Russian Conservatism is no small feat. This book is a worthwhile read that deserves a large audience

(The University Bookman) Robinson pairs erudition with admirably calibrated judgment; he manages to resist the terrible simplications that too often dominate punditry, and even scholarship, on all things Russian

(Claremont Review of Books)