Lost Kingdom: The Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation

Lost Kingdom examines Russia's centuries-long quest to define its national identity and territorial boundaries. The narrative traces this journey from the medieval origins of the Russian state through the collapse of the Soviet Union. The book focuses on how Russian rulers and intellectuals attempted to reconcile the empire's multi-ethnic reality with their vision of a unified Russian nation. It analyzes key historical moments when Russia's leaders made crucial decisions about the empire's direction and relationship with neighboring peoples. The history moves through multiple eras, including Muscovy, the Russian Empire, the Soviet period, and post-Soviet times. The text incorporates documents and writings from Russian, Ukrainian, and Western European sources to present multiple perspectives on Russia's imperial ambitions. This work speaks to fundamental questions about nationalism, empire, and the relationship between state power and cultural identity. The themes resonate with contemporary debates about Russia's place in the world and its relationships with neighboring states.

Readers appreciate Plokhy's detailed research and his examination of how Russian rulers used history to justify territorial expansion. Several note his clear explanations of complex historical narratives around Ukrainian and Russian identity formation. Likes: - Clear writing style that makes dense historical content accessible - Strong scholarly references and primary sources - Relevant to current geopolitical tensions - Maps and illustrations enhance understanding Dislikes: - Some sections become repetitive - Focus sometimes strays from main narrative - A few readers found early chapters slower-paced - Some wanted more coverage of non-Russian perspectives Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (243 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (108 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Explains centuries of history without getting bogged down" - Amazon reviewer "Required reading for understanding current Russia-Ukraine relations" - Goodreads review "Could have condensed certain sections about church history" - Goodreads critique

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🔹 Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University and has written extensively about the relationship between Russia and Ukraine, bringing unique insight as a scholar who grew up in the former Soviet Union. 🔹 The book traces Russia's national identity crisis back to the collapse of the Kyivan Rus in the 13th century, showing how this medieval kingdom's legacy has been claimed by both Russia and Ukraine in their competing historical narratives. 🔹 The concept of "All-Russian" identity discussed in the book was officially promoted by the Russian Empire starting in the 17th century, combining Great Russians (Russians), Little Russians (Ukrainians), and White Russians (Belarusians) into one supposed nation. 🔹 During the writing of this book, Plokhy had access to previously classified Soviet archives, allowing him to reveal new details about how Soviet leaders manipulated historical narratives to maintain control over non-Russian republics. 🔹 The book's publication in 2017 preceded Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine by five years, yet it effectively predicted many of the historical arguments that would be used by Vladimir Putin to justify Russian aggression against Ukraine.