The Historical Foundations of Russian Strategic Culture

Russian strategic culture is often explained through contemporary military capabilities and geopolitical ambitions. This paper argues that recurring narratives of invasion, sacrifice, and centralized authority, though shaped and exploited by political elites, are grounded in remembered historical trauma and help define which security choices appear legitimate to Russian leaders and publics. Through an interpretive reading of four cultural works (a film, a poem, a wartime story, and an oral history) set against key moments from the memory of Mongol rule to the war in Ukraine, the paper traces how duty, endurance, and state authority are presented as conditions of survival, and at what cost to individuals. It proposes these narratives as a historical foundation for analyzing Russian leaders' decision-making and security behavior.