Russia's Journey from Yeltsin to Batu: History in Reverse

To what extent is present-day Russia the product of its long and complex historical development? Could the country have followed a different path? And how can we distinguish genuine historical alternatives from comforting myths?
In this accessible work of popular history, Dmitry Travin addresses these questions through the lens of his long-standing research in historical sociology and economic history. Rather than following Russia's story chronologically, he moves backward through time—from the present toward the distant past—pausing at the pivotal moments that most profoundly shaped the country's trajectory.
At each stage, Travin examines how legacies inherited from the past either clashed with or adapted to the forces of a new era, revealing the interplay between historical continuity and change. By retracing Russia's development in reverse, he offers a fresh perspective on the origins of the country's contemporary political and social realities.
Dmitry Travin holds a Ph.D. in Economics and specializes in economic history and historical sociology. From 2008 until April 2024, he served as Academic Director of the Center for Modernization Studies at the European University at St. Petersburg.

Dmitry Travin. Russia's Journey from Yeltsin to Batu: History in Reverse. — Moscow: New Literary Observer, 2025.
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