"The most comprehensive examination of how illiberal ideology is crystallizing in Putin's Russia. This book confirms Marlene Laruelle's reputation as a leading expert in the field. It is essential reading to understand not only 'how Russia works' but also the broader dynamics of ideological contestation."-Mikhail Suslov, University of Copenhagen "One of the world's premier experts on Russian political thought, Marlene Laruelle offers a rich, nuanced, and lucid explication of 'Putinism,' its melange of ideological formulations across a quarter century, its intellectual-historical heritage and grassroots sources, and its dissemination in contemporary media and popular culture."-Edith W. Clowes, University of Virginia "Marlene Laruelle's book is a major contribution to our understanding of the nature, evolution, and sources of popularity of Putin's regime. It forces us to rethink much of the conventional wisdom about Russia today."-Ivan Krastev, Sofia University "St.

Kliment Ohridski" "Laruelle's thorough examination of the ideological trends underpinning modern Russia demonstrates how these are the product of a process of co-creation by state and society, rather than Kremlin diktat. Understanding Russia has rarely been more important, and this detailed and nuanced analysis is an important contribution to that cause."-Paul Robinson, University of Ottawa "This book proposes a critical reconstruction of the intellectual genealogies of the regime: to understand the ideological construction of Russia in all its diversity and homogeneity, analyzing its ability to capture its internal cohesion alongside its contradictions, ambiguities, and omissions."-Sakhri Mohamed, World Policy Hub.