SUMMARY:

This is an analytical review of a 2025 book by Adam Lenton and anonymous coauthors that examines the complex imperial legacies and contemporary decolonization debates within the Russian Federation. The reviewer explains that the book traces Russia’s history from tsarist expansion to the Soviet era, eventually focusing on how Russia’s current war against Ukraine has intensified questions of ethnic identity and regional autonomy. While the book is praised for its conceptual brilliance in “disentangling” academic theories and the possibility of decolonizing the mind, it is criticized for significant research gaps, specifically its lack of Indigenous perspectives and field-based anthropological insights. The review highlights a critical tension between the Kremlin’s authoritarian repression and the diverse, often-overlooked agency of non-Russian peoples striving for homeland recognition within a shifting geopolitical landscape.