“This long-awaited work of two well-known Russian academics will be important both among scholars in Russia and abroad. At the same time, there is every reason to believe that it will also arouse great interest among the general public, including foreigners, as they become acquainted with the real Russia. Altogether, this will give the foreign and, above all, Western audiences a new impetus to gaining a serious and balanced understanding of the history and the current politics in Russia.” (Marina L. Ivleva, RUDN, Journal of Russian History, Vol. 20 (4), 2021)