---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ancient bond between the tsarist…"
description: "\"“The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian nationalism could be used to create powerful emotions when the enemy came from the heathen east..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png"
---

#  The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian…

![“The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian nationalism could be used to create powerful emotions when the enemy came from the heathen east. The Mongol invasion had left a powerful mark on the Russian psyche. It was expressed in a deep anxiety about the mixed Eurasian roots of the…” quote by Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png)

> ““The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian nationalism could be used to create powerful emotions when the enemy came from the heathen east. The Mongol invasion had left a powerful mark on the Russian psyche. It was expressed in a deep anxiety about the mixed Eurasian roots of the people and it's culture, which made it easy for an educated liberal to convince themselves that this war was nothing less than a defense of Russia's European identity against the Asian hordes.””

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage explains how historic Russian fears of Asian invasions shaped modern nationalist narratives, linking past trauma to contemporary identity politics.

**In simple terms:** Historical trauma fuels modern Russian nationalism.

Key Takeaway

Understand historical roots of current political rhetoric.

Themes

nationalism history identity trauma politics

Mood

analytical reflective

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- academic analysis
- political discourse
- media framing
- education curricula

Key Concepts

collective memory othering defensive identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do historical narratives shape present policies?
- Can societies reconcile mixed heritage?

A Different Perspective

It may oversimplify complex political motivations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [It was ironic but somehow fitting that the 1905 Revolution should have been started by an organisation dreamed up by the tsarist regime itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/it-was-ironic-but-somehow-fitting-that-the-1905-revolution-should/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“As a group who can never afford the expensive fiction of having a nation—and whose bodies suffer from nationalism by being used as its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/as-a-group-who-can-never-afford-the-expensive-fiction-of-having-a/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [ “The only real recourse that \[Russian\] people had against tsarist rule was violence and rebellion. It was once remarked that Russia's constitution was "absolutism… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-beattie/the-only-real-recourse-that-russian-people-had-against-tsarist-rule/)

Alan Beattie

> [Soviet Union foreign policy is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma, and the key is Russian nationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/soviet-union-foreign-policy-is-a-puzzle-inside-a-riddle-wrapped-in-an/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [For all the farcical invoking of Blitz spirit, Brexit isn't merely an absurdist experiment in English nationalist nostalgia - it is the most audacious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/for-all-the-farcical-invoking-of-blitz-spirit-brexit-isn-t-merely-an/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

> [“The threat of a terrorist attack in Moscow is real enough - a constant beneath the surface. But another, more palpable form of intimidation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harding-luke/the-threat-of-a-terrorist-attack-in-moscow-is-real-enough-a-constant/)

Harding Luke

> [This European and really pro-Russian nationalism is seeping into America. It's very disturbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/this-european-and-really-pro-russian-nationalism-is-seeping-into/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

## More by Orlando Figes

> [On the news that the Tsar had sent the troops icons to boost their morals, General Dragomirov quipped: 'The Japanese are beating us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/on-the-news-that-the-tsar-had-sent-the-troops-icons-to-boost-their/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“For the Romanov regime fell under the weight of its own internal contradictions. It was not overthrown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/for-the-romanov-regime-fell-under-the-weight-of-its-own-internal/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“The only way, they argued, to prevent a revolution was to rule Russia with an iron hand. This meant defending the autocratic principle, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-only-way-they-argued-to-prevent-a-revolution-was-to-rule-russia/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“This was a cruelty made by history. Long after serfdom had been abolished the land captains exercised their right to flog the peasants for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/this-was-a-cruelty-made-by-history-long-after-serfdom-had-been/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“Whereas in Europe new ideas were forced to compete against other doctrines and attitudes, with the results that people tended towards healthy skepticism about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/whereas-in-europe-new-ideas-were-forced-to-compete-against-other/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [Time and time again, the obstinate refusal of the tsarist regime to concede reforms turned what should have been a political problem into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/time-and-time-again-the-obstinate-refusal-of-the-tsarist-regime-to/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [The link between literacy and revolutions is a well-known historical phenomenon. The three great revolutions of modern European history -- the English, the French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-link-between-literacy-and-revolutions-is-a-well-known-historical/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“For all too many of these high-born revolutionaries, the main attraction of 'the cause' lay not so much in the satisfaction which they might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/for-all-too-many-of-these-high-born-revolutionaries-the-main/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [Their notion of training was to march the men up and down in parades and reviews: these were nice to look at and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/their-notion-of-training-was-to-march-the-men-up-and-down-in-parades/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“Gorky called for the building of a monument to the young martyr, who, the writer said, had ‘understood that a relative by blood may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/gorky-called-for-the-building-of-a-monument-to-the-young-martyr-who/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“As in 1917, the drift towards authoritarian government under Putin was enabled by the weakness of the middle classes and public institutions in post-Soviet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/as-in-1917-the-drift-towards-authoritarian-government-under-putin-was/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [It was ironic but somehow fitting that the 1905 Revolution should have been started by an organisation dreamed up by the tsarist regime itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/it-was-ironic-but-somehow-fitting-that-the-1905-revolution-should/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“Convinced that their own ideas were the key to the future of the world, that the fate of humanity rested on the outcome of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/convinced-that-their-own-ideas-were-the-key-to-the-future-of-the/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“For the majority of ordinary Russians, especially for those of a certain age who identified themselves as ‘Soviet’, the 1990s were little short of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/for-the-majority-of-ordinary-russians-especially-for-those-of-a/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

> [“The worst violence was reserved for the Jews. There were 690 documented pogroms -- with over 3,000 reported murders -- during the two weeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-worst-violence-was-reserved-for-the-jews-there-were-690/)

[Orlando Figes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

[Explore all 32 Orlando Figes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/)

## More Russian Nationalism quotes

> [Soviet Union foreign policy is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma, and the key is Russian nationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/soviet-union-foreign-policy-is-a-puzzle-inside-a-riddle-wrapped-in-an/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [For all the farcical invoking of Blitz spirit, Brexit isn't merely an absurdist experiment in English nationalist nostalgia - it is the most audacious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/for-all-the-farcical-invoking-of-blitz-spirit-brexit-isn-t-merely-an/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

> [“The threat of a terrorist attack in Moscow is real enough - a constant beneath the surface. But another, more palpable form of intimidation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harding-luke/the-threat-of-a-terrorist-attack-in-moscow-is-real-enough-a-constant/)

Harding Luke

> [This European and really pro-Russian nationalism is seeping into America. It's very disturbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/this-european-and-really-pro-russian-nationalism-is-seeping-into/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

Browse all 5 Russian Nationalism quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian nationalism could be used to create powerful emotions when the enemy came from the heathen east. The Mongol invasion had left a powerful mark on the Russian psyche. It was expressed in a deep anxiety about the mixed Eurasian roots of the people and it's culture, which made it easy for an educated liberal to convince themselves that this war was nothing less than a defense of Russia's European identity against the Asian hordes.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Orlando Figes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-state-and-russian-nationalism/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Russian Nationalism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-state-and-russian-nationalism/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dac/orlando-figes-19791_russian-nationalism_the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-sta_2484443.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The ancient bond between the tsarist state and Russian nationalism could be used to create powerful emotions…” — Orlando Figes",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Orlando Figes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-figes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The ancient bond between the tsarist...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-state-and-russian-nationalism/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-figes/the-ancient-bond-between-the-tsarist-state-and-russian-nationalism/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
