Academician Pivovarov: 10 Turning Points in Russian History

Academician Yuri Pivovarov, a renowned Russian historian, discusses ten pivotal moments in Russian history in a conversation held in Berlin. The video covers a wide range of topics—from the reforms of Alexander II and the influence of language on faith in 988, to the legacy of Alexander Nevsky and the Oprichnina. Pivovarov also reflects on his own exile after a fire at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences (INION), his studies at MGIMO, and the broader question of how Russia has always been a European country. The discussion includes his views on modern Russian politics, the role of propaganda, and the impact of World War I on the revolution. Key moments are marked by timestamps: 00:00 – Can we tell history without propaganda? 3:34 – “Today’s Russia was created in 1500” 4:30 – What reforms of Alexander II succeeded? 6:15 – How language influenced the choice of faith in 988 8:54 – “Truth is not a what, but a who” 10:27 – “Kiev is the mother of Russian cities” 14:56 – Why Alexander Nevsky is popular with propagandists? 18:14 – “A Mongol can kill, but a German steals the soul” 23:24 – Pivovarov’s time at MGIMO with Minister Lavrov 24:37 – Could Tver have been the capital? 28:54 – Boris Godunov’s failed university plan 33:57 – “When the last of the Daniloviches died, people went crazy” 35:58 – “The Tsar marries the country” 37:56 – “Grozny is not scary, but magnificent” 39:12 – Oprichnina as internal terror 40:37 – “Ivan the Terrible was part of the LGBT community” 41:18 – Pivovarov’s criminal case 43:17 – Vladimir Solovyov’s defense 44:23 – The INION fire 47:15 – Ivan the Terrible’s secrecy 50:17 – Russia’s European identity 54:09 – “Sacred popular sovereignty” 56:00 – Pivovarov’s escape from prison 57:01 – What burned down in INION 59:58 – Failure of the emancipation reform 1:03:08 – Division of intelligentsia and people 1:07:25 – Pivovarov’s favorite tsar 1:11:32 – “If I had stayed in Russia, I would have died” 1:14:04 – Alternate history of the Verkhovniks 1:18:11 – Decembrists as the last palace coup 1:20:19 – The God‑chosenness of the Russian people 1:22:10 – Ilyin’s philosophy 1:23:31 – No sign of a thaw 1:25:01 – Modern world’s moral choice 1:27:50 – Putin’s adversaries if Ukraine didn’t exist 1:31:01 – Putin’s role in Ukraine’s nation‑building 1:31:39 – Moscow as the best city 1:32:52 – Emigration as a sign of an unhealthy organism 1:37:10 – 2 million best Russians left in the early 20th century 1:40:09 – World War I’s effect on the revolution 1:43:09 – Pivovarov’s grandmother’s biography 1:46:25 – Her view of Lenin 1:48:54 – Lenin’s significance 1:53:37 – Gradations among tyrants 1:55:55 – Pivovarov’s hope that the worst is over 1:58:38 – Historian’s experience of events 1:59:31 – Russia’s capacity to surprise.