Book Launch: Russian Westernizers & Change International Relations

A good colleague of mine Andrey P. Tsygankov, professor of International Relations at San Francisco State University, wrote a new book on an incredibly important subject of Russian thinkers and politicians who have considered Western/European civilization to be superior to others and who have drawn the conclusion that Russia consequently ought to align itself with the West.

They believed that a failure to align with the West would be an impediment to political, social, and economic evolution of Russia. Within this trend of thought, Prof. Tsygankov identifies four schools:
♟Christian Westernizers
♟Economic Liberals
♟Political Liberals
♟Social State Supporters
and explores examples of each.

He then compares Russian thinkers from different periods, finding contrasts and similarities within their political and historical settings and assessing their responses to their unique circumstances. He analyzes Russian Westernizers’ self‑definition and ideas of national freedom relative to those of Western nations, exploring how the West’s definition of values and institutions has changed over time.

He also shows how Western historical developments affected waves of Westernization and pro‑Western thinking inside Russia, arguing the importance of this being grounded in national state‑building priorities. The growing complexity of global relations, the declining global influence of the West, and the conflict in Ukraine present Russian Westernizers with new questions and challenges, and this book assesses the resulting implications.

This book will definitely appeal to students and scholars of Russian foreign policy, Russia–West relations, IR theory, diplomatic studies, political science, and European history including the history of ideas.