140×215 (60×90/16), hard cover, 248 pp., 2006
ISBN 5-86793-435-7

An empire is a backdrop against which various ethnic groups interact with each other and with the authorities. Aleksey Miller, a leading expert in the history of empires, takes us through the fascinating history of uprising and repression, struggle and cooperation, assimilation and dissimilation over four centuries of Romanov rule in Russia. This is the first time the Romanov empire has been viewed from the perspective of ethnicity and nationalism, and Miller reflects on how a history of an empire must transcend the baggage of national and regional narratives, while avoiding the pitfalls of the traditional imperial version of Russian history. In what way did Russian nationalism interact with the Empire? What was the importance of the ‘Jewish question’ for the Empire? Why were language and alphabet so important? What was more significant for the Romanovs: identity or loyalty? Why did all the continental empires on the periphery of Europe collapse during World War I? These questions and others will be broached in this groundbreaking book, which should be of interest to both professional historians and the general public.

World rights available