Intellectual Roots of Putin's Nationalism and Ideology

Maria Snegovaya discussed the intellectual trends that influenced Vladimir Putin’s thinking and partly served as an intellectual underpinning for the annexation of Crimea, the corresponding radical shift of Russia’s international doctrine, and the recent transformation of Russia’s post-Soviet identity. She discussed the impact that Russian philosophers Ivan Il’yin and Nikolay Berdyaev had on Mr. Putin’s vision for Russia and how it led to the development of a more aggressive stance toward the West. She also addressed transformations of these ideological trends in recent months.