PROGRAMM

In his recent book To Run the World, one of the most meticulous historians of the Cold War, SERGEY RADCHENKO, examines the personal and political motivations of Soviet leaders in the post-war period, from Stalin to Gorbachev. His unexpected conclusions have also proved enlightening in trying to understand the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Radchenko has distinguished himself as a commentator with unusual insights into Russia’s political aspirations. In his conversation with IWM Rector MISHA GLENNY, he will consider themes that appear to span ideological divides through different periods of post-war history, to see whether there is a coherence to the Russian worldview.   

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SERGEY RADCHENKO is a Russian-British historian who currently teaches at Johns Hopkins University as the Distinguished Professor at the Henry Kissinger Center for Global Affairs. He grew up on Sakhalin Island in Russia’s Far East before studying in the United States and Britain. Radchenko is the author of several books about the Cold War. His latest book, To Run the World (Cambridge University Press, 2024) , won the prestigious Lionel Gelber Prize in Canada this year. He regularly writes for publications such as The Guardian.