Russia’s stalled de-Sovietization, Russia’s philosophy, and the Idea of Empire

Since the breakdown of the USSR, attempts have been made in post-Soviet Russia, and now the Russian Federation, to come to terms with its Soviet past. These have, over the past decades, become increasingly politicized and streamlined. Coming to terms with one’s own past is rarely an easy task, as examples from all over the world can testify. The combination of a colonial empire (with qualifications) and the 70-year attempt to build a socialist state (also with qualifications) in one country, however, poses particular challenges. This paper attempts to sketch the situation researchers currently face and makes a few suggestions, aiming at both a fair and sober analysis.