F2505 Understanding and Misunderstanding Russia Today
Class | Registration opens Monday, September 15, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Russia is often discussed but rarely well understood. In this timely talk, we’ll explore how Russian society, politics, and economics have evolved since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—and what has remained unchanged. The presentation will highlight key shifts, persistent myths, and the limits of what can be known about Russia from the outside. Join us for a nuanced look at a complex and often misunderstood global power, with insight into how current events are reshaping the country and its role on the world stage.
Zoom - Recorded
Aaron Retish
Prof. Aaron Retish is a specialist in late Imperial and Soviet history with a focus on the social, cultural, and political history of the countryside. He is the author of Russia’s Peasants in Revolution and Civil War: Citizenship, Identity, and the Creation of the Soviet State, 1914-1922. Retish co-edits Revolutionary Russia, the leading journal in its field. He also serves on the Board of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and is associate editor of its journal The Volunteer.