The Russian Nation, or A Tale of the History of Its Absence

The proposed book, which is the culmination of the author's many years of research, is not yet another history of Russia. It is precisely the history of the Russian nation. Therefore, for the reader who hopes to glean elementary information about the homeland's past, it is better to refer to other works, of which there are many. Judging by the electronic catalog of the Russian State Library, there is not a single book in Russian with the title "history of the Russian nation." At first glance, this seems a regrettable absurdity, yet another sad illustration of Pushkin's words: "We are lazy and uncurious." In fact, behind this fact lies the very logic of Russian history. For it is no coincidence that domestic historiography prefers to describe the history of the Russian state rather than the history of the Russian people.