Dave interviews Dina Khapaeva, Russian culture expert at Georgia Tech, about the book "Third Empire: Russia as it ought to be," written by Mikhail Yuriev, one of the authors of Project Russia, which we have also covered in the last two episodes. Dina specializes in Russian historical memory and contemporary issues. She provides an in-depth background on her research and her personal history, including her family's experience with Stalinist terror. The discussion focuses on the troubling, far-right ideologies that have been shaping Russia's political strategy, particularly explored through the lens of Mikhail Yuryev's novel 'Third Empire, The Russia That Ought To Be' and the Project Russia texts. Dr. Penkrmanova explains how these narratives, rooted in neo-Eurasianist ideology and medieval Russian history, inform Putin's geopolitics and expansionist aims. The conversation also touches on the implications of these ideologies for Western policymakers and the political landscape, emphasizing the urgent need to recognize and respond to these Russian ambitions. The Utopian Russian Novel that Predicted Putin's War Plan, March 26, 2022 The West Doesn't Realize How Much Danger It's In, August 24, 2022 Putin's Dark Ages, 2023 Dina Khapaeva website 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 00:17 Early Career and Shift to Sociology 01:00 Focus on Historical Memory 02:24 Current Role at Georgia Tech 02:59 Discussion on Mikhail Yuryev's Book 03:49 Yuryev's Influence and Political Connections 07:05 Fortress Russia and Far-Right Ideology 10:18 Neo-Eurasianism and Western Perception 19:57 Summary of 'Third Empire' Plot 23:07 Implications of Yuryev's Vision 32:04 The Devastation of War: Casualties and Destruction 32:58 Russian Ideology: Antichrist and Apocalypse 33:42 Western Perception and Putin's Strategy 34:34 The Primakov Doctrine and Nuclear Threats 38:14 Yuriev's Vision: A New Social Order 45:58 The Role of Memory Politics in Russia 51:49 Yuriev's Influence in the United States 57:21 The Patriarchal Society and Gender Issues 01:00:41 The Urgency of Recognizing the Russian Threat 01:03:10 Conclusion: The Future of Russia and Global Implications