The shadow of the bear

The article explores Russian historical myths used to justify the aggression against Ukraine. Three main myths are discussed: Russia as the successor of Kyivan Rus, Moscow as the Third Rome, and the myth about Russian historical territories. Putin and the Russian propagandists use these myths to deploy narratives about Crimea, Novorossiya, Kyivan Rus, and to reinterpret Russian history to fit contemporary Russian imperial renaissance. As such, these myths nowadays became part of the Russian World (Русский мир), i.e. Russia’s political project that attempts to justify its imperial policy, particularly in the context of negation of the Ukrainian statehood and the war against Ukraine.