Mikhail Zygar, a renowned writer and journalist, spoke at the Harriman Institute regarding his new book and the beliefs and narratives that led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

An invasion that was supposed to take two weeks turned into a war that lasted almost two years. Many saw Russia’s actions as shocking and unexpected. And yet, can they really be classified as such? Not according to Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist, writer, and the author of War and Punishment: Putin, Zelensky, and the Path to Russia’s Invasion. He believes that the acts of Russia under Putin were far from unpredictable, but were instead the result of hundreds of years of cultural phenomena occurring in Eastern Europe. On Thursday, October 13, Zygar spoke at an event hosted by the Harriman Institute regarding his new book and his views on what ultimately led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Zygar is a prominent Russian journalist and writer, known for being the founding editor-in-chief of Dozhd, which was one of the few remaining independent Russian news channels. He was awarded the International Press Freedom Award in 2014. Zygar used his direct experiences with Russian propaganda and misinformation, as well as his time reporting on the front lines of conflict, to explain how the current situation is impacting the journalism sector. Additionally, Joel Simon, a journalist, writer, and professor at CUNY, offered his views on the situation in Russia and the role that Zygar plays in it.

In his claim that Russia’s actions could have been predicted or even prevented, Mikhail Zygar takes personal responsibility. His claim that countless Russian journalists, writers, and historians have turned a blind eye to the signs of Russia’s condition is not just focused on recent events. Tracing it back centuries, to writers like Dostoevsky, Zygar believes that the use of the Russian language, literature, and culture as a weapon against colonized countries has been consistently ignored or even lauded. Themes of self-praise, including ideas of a people “chosen by God” and those possessing a “unique” spirituality are pervasive throughout Russian culture. And unlike some countries that have made efforts to reconsider and reanalyze their colonial past, there have been very few attempts to change the Russian historical narrative.

In the minds of many people, the past Russian Empire is still embodied by the term “great”. This has been useful over the years to those in power, from Peter I to Joseph Stalin and finally to Vladimir Putin today. These rulers and political leaders used the taboo of referencing Russian colonialization and oppression in their favor. By hiring “personal” historians and creating state-sanctioned media, they could further blind the Russian people by reinforcing the myths they had been told since childhood.

War and Punishment works to underline these myths and dispel them, with the first section focusing on seven major ones. Of these myths, all are used to control Russian people today, with many predating Putin. Some focus on the historical interactions between Ukraine and Russia, such as the reunification of the two in the 17th century, often misunderstood as a “legendary” event without knowing the actual reasons for and consequences of the contract. Others are more general, with Zygar revealing the commonly unknown fact that the Ukrainian language was banned in Ukraine throughout much of the 19th century, a level of suppression that many do not know existed. Regardless of how these fabrications may have initially been constructed, they are now being utilized by Putin and his government as forms of propaganda.

So what can be done? Although the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending soon, Zygar believes that his book is one of the first steps that can be taken to build a new, more accurate, historical narrative. Instead of repeating the same mistakes that his predecessors made, Zygar takes a journalistic approach to history, applying skepticism and encouraging doubt in his readers. Too many Russians, likely including Putin himself, believe in myths that they perceive as facts. But in combating these myths, Zygar’s book is not just intended for the people of Russia. Unfortunately, as Zygar admits, getting the book published in Russia is impossible, and he just hopes that some copies will make it through. Instead, the book is targeted at practically everyone else on the globe who have fallen victim to many of the same myths due to the influence of immigration. This is not to mention the nearly one million Russians that have left their country since the war started. Though they are now scattered around the world, Zygar hopes that his words will reach as many as possible.

We do not know what the future holds, but there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. The world has witnessed the growth of Ukraine from an ethnic minority in the Austrian and Russian Empires, wherein the former Ukrainian people were second-class citizens, and forced to be Russified in the latter, to an independent and democratic country. Things have changed. In the 19th century, even some of the most famous Ukrainian artists and writers such as Gogol were forced to abandon their country and culture. Now, the president of Ukraine is someone who has reclaimed his country’s identity. Zelensky, despite training and working in Moscow for many years, has returned to lead his country, symbolizing a change that has occurred across all of Ukraine. 

The Ukrainian historical narrative has become one focused on ideals of democracy and revolution, and Zygar hopes that a similar change can occur in the Russian narrative. But while every generation of Russian people believes in these myths less and less, the government is also adapting, pushing propaganda to its citizens, and demonizing all aspects of Western culture. It will take a divergence from the traditional historical techniques to make a difference. As Zygar says, “I don’t stop being a journalist when I am writing books about history.” By starting this battle, it might be possible for Russia and the world as a whole to reclaim the historical narratives and understand the mistakes that led to Russia’s current condition.

Image via Harriman Institute