The Russian Idea

This book examines Russia from a geographical neighbour’s perspective. In The Russian Idea, Finland’s ex-President sets out to understand Russian thinking through the lens of historical events and to anticipate its influence on Russia’s future choices. Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022, the book is today more topical than ever.

While outlining the key episodes in Russian history, Koivisto explores the essence of what Russia and Russianness stand for. What was the significance of Moscow’s self-proclamation as the Third Rome, and how did Russia become an empire? What impact did the existence of that empire have on Finland’s independence?In The Russian Idea (first published in Finnish in 2001), Koivisto combines a review of Russian political history with an introduction to the Russian history of ideas. He describes the Russian intellectual heritage as a combination of Orthodox religion, Pan-Slavism and Socialism.