Commissioned Book Review: Ilya Yablokov, Fortress Russia: Conspiracy Theories in Post-Soviet Russia
| Published date | 01 November 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929920903643 |
| Author | Serghei Golunov |
| Date | 01 November 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Commissioned Book Reviews |
book-review2020
Commissioned Book Review
Political Studies Review
2020, Vol. 18(4) NP23 –NP24
Commissioned Book Review
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
Fortress Russia: Conspiracy Theories
aged to represent itself as the only real force
in Post-Soviet Russia by Ilya Yablokov.
able to defend Russia.
Cambridge and Medford, MA: Polity, 2018. 288
While Yablokov’s conceptual approach
pp., £45.65 (h/b), ISBN 9781509522651
looks viable and innovative, at least several
following problems should be discussed.
In Russia, conspiracy theories (CTs) have long
First, the title may give a wrong impression
been an important feature of popular beliefs
of that the book covers the entire range of
and ideologies. The monograph by Ilya
post-Soviet Russia’s CTs while actually it
Yablokov is the first attempt of fundamental
focuses just on some of pro-governmental
research on post-Soviet Russia’s CTs.
conspiracy narratives (no clear disclaimer is
The book consists of seven chapters that
provided). A wide range of CTs, produced by
largely represent evolution of pro-governmental
non-governmental actors are not considered,
conspiracy theorizing efforts since 2000s. The
as well as CTs about non-Western ‘conspirac-
first chapter is devoted to history of conspiracy
tors’ (e.g. China).
theorizing in Russia; the second, to the role of
Second, representing CTs largely just as
some public intellectuals in producing and dis-
power narratives and practices looks somewhat
seminating CTs; the third, to conspiracy narra-
reductionist, as other known psychological,
tives about the collapse of the USSR; the fourth,
cultural, historical, social and other explana-
to governmental efforts to construct national
tions are paid little attention. Ironically, the
identity narratives; the fifth and the sixth chap-
2010 Matthew Grey’s book on CTs in the Arab
ters, to utilizing CTs against...
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