The author examines possible paths for the development of Russia and Russian society.

The right of nations to self-determination is what formed the basis of the USSR and what ultimately led to its collapse. But what did the founder of the USSR think about the national question? This collection includes works by V.I. Lenin: ‘On the Right of Nations to Self-Determination,’ ‘Critical Remarks on the National Question,’ ‘On the National Pride of the Great Russians,’ and others.

Why did European, and later Euro-Atlantic, civilizations achieve the most spectacular successes in the history of mankind? Why was it Europe, first independently and later together with the United States of America, that created the world in which we live today? What predetermined the global hegemony of the European worldview – industry, military power, or something else? And what influence...

In this landmark account, renowned historian Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Beginning with the funeral of Edward VII, Tuchman traces each step that led to the inevitable clash. And inevitable it was, with all sides plotting their war for...

Hans-Georg Maaßen diniert mit Donald Trump, JD Vance verteidigt in München die AfD, ein rechter Polit-Neuling aus Polen wird im Oval Office empfangen. Rechte Parteien und Interessenvertreter vernetzen sich international schneller als je zuvor, offen und hinter den Kulissen wird intensiv am Export des Trumpismus nach Europa gearbeitet – mit potenziell dramatischen Folgen für die Zukunft des...

Friedrich Merz steht vor gewaltigen Aufgaben. Während Trump und Putin die alte Weltordnung zerstören, droht die AfD die politische Mitte in Deutschland zu sprengen. Der neue Bundeskanzler will ganz anders regieren als die abgewählte Ampel-Koalition. Dabei sind die Herausforderungen, an denen die Ampel krachend gescheitert ist, dieselben geblieben: Wirtschaftskrise, Klimawandel, Migration und...

Drei Freundinnen, ein Küchentisch, vor den Fenstern die Nacht: Annett Gröschner, Peggy Mädler und Wenke Seemann reden. Über sich als „Ostfrauen“, was auch immer diese Schublade bedeutet, über das Glück krummer Lebensläufe, über die Gegenwart mit ihrer sich ständig reindrängelnden Vergangenheit. Es wird getrunken, gelacht und gerungen, es geht um Erinnerungsfetzen und Widersprüche, um die...

‘How does a comedian become the face of a nation's fight for survival? In VZ, celebrated Russian author Dmitry Bykov unpacks the extraordinary rise of Vladimir Zelenskyi--from a TV star to a wartime leader defying a global superpower. With wit and razor-sharp insight, Bykov dives into the moments that shaped Zelenskyi's improbable journey, revealing the man behind the headlines. This is not...

Ilya Venyavkin, author of ‘The Temple of War,’ explored the life trajectories and ideological perspectives of several public figures who played a key role in Russia's transformation from the unstable democracy of the early 1990s to the deeply militarized and chauvinistic autocracy of the early 2020s. Satirist Mikhail Zadornov, Army General Sergei Surovikin, security officer Nikolai...

‘House on the Line of Fire’ is a story told by a fearless man who has been in prison and in high office, who knows the value of compromise and human relationships, who remained in his home until the very end, but who, even after being forced to leave, never ceased to love it. The book offers a complete and vivid picture of life in Donbas in the 21st century: clan wars and property division,...