Orlando Figes

No other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. None has changed its story so often.

How the Russians came to tell their story, and to reinvent it as they went along, is a vital aspect of their history, their culture, and their beliefs. To comprehend the present – and future – situation in Russia, we must first unravel its past.

Based on a lifetime of scholarship, The Story of Russia is the definitive work to do just that; Orlando Figes brings into sharp relief the vibrant characters that comprise Russia’s rich history, from Ivan the Terrible to the last days of the Romanovs. We are very excited to welcome him back to Ely to discuss it.

Orlando Figes is an award-winning author and historian, who has held teaching posts at Birkbeck College, University of London, and Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. He was born in London in 1959 and studied History at the University of Cambridge. Figes is the bestselling author of nine books on Russian and European history, including Natasha’s Dance and A People’s Tragedy. His books have been translated into over 30 languages.

‘Figes knows more about Russia than any other historian’, Max Hastings, The Sunday Times