Podcast Episodes: The Ideas Behind Putin's War on the West

This trilogy of podcast episodes sheds new light on Mikhail Yuriev, an architect of the Kremlin's war plans.

Podcast Episodes: The Ideas Behind Putin's War on the West
Mikhail Yuriev, former deputy chairman of the Russian parliament was a key part of Putin's inner circle, and has shaped the Kremlin's war plans.

Late last year we introduced our readers to Project Russia, an ambitious set of books published between 2005 and 2010 that outlined a philosophical basis for Russia's war in Ukraine and the broader assault on the West. The books describe democracy as an infantile failed experiment, and the United States as destined to fail. Russia, on the other hand, would rise as a victorious autocracy, with the adoption of religion, traditionalism, and hierarchy.

While Project Russia was published anonymously, one of the primary authors is Mikhail Yuriev, a former deputy chairman of the Russian parliament who rose to prominence within Putin's inner circle. Besides Project Russia, Yuriev authored a sci-fi novel which has proven to be remarkably predictive of Putin's moves. Published in 2006, The Third Empire: Russia As It Should Be, is set in 2054, and is narrated by a fictitious Brazilian historian who is looking back on how Vladimir, the great leader of Russia, began to reshape the world — beginning in 2025.

Dina Khapaeva, a Russia scholar who emigrated to the United States in 2009, has been sounding the alarm about The Third Empire and has been working to raise awareness among the public and policymakers. She is the Director of Russian Program and Professor of Russian at Georgia Tech, and in 2022 she published an article in The Atlantic titled "The Utopian Russian Novel That Predicted Putin's War Plan." Khapaeva asserts that Yuriev and Putin knew each other and one observer described The Third Empire as "the Kremlin's favorite book."

🇷🇺
"We hate your guts... We like to see you dead... America is a great country — for Americans. But not for the world, because you want to dominate the world. It's not personal; it's a reaction to the thirst for empire." – Mikhail Yuriev (New York Daily News, June 17, 1999)

Unfortunately, Khapaeva's article was easy to miss; while it was picked up by colleagues Claire Berlinsky and Monique Camarra who compiled an excellent article and podcast episode about it, other media has failed to take notice.

“The West doesn’t realize how much danger it’s in.”
Dugin, The Third Empire, the Cult of Stalin, Neo-Medievalism, and the Sources of Russian Conduct: An Introduction to Dina Khapaeva.

Yuriev's novel has proven to be extremely predictive: invasion of Ukraine leads to direct confrontation with the United States which capitulates to Russian demands due to fear of nuclear annihilation. We're now well into the denouement phase.

Three Podcast Episodes

To bring together this material in a more unified way, we have prepared three special episodes of Dave Troy Presents. The first, on Project Russia, was released in December, and as an experiment, made use of Google's Notebook LM robot podcasters, due to lack of availability of other experts. Some found that episode fascinating, others found the use of AI grating. Regardless, the episode accurately outlines Project Russia and the ideas behind it, and as such was useful in getting these ideas out quickly. It's worth taking the time to absorb.

Project Russia and the Kremlin’s War on the West - Dave Troy Presents
You’ve heard of Project 2025, but there’s another framework that may be even more important for understanding the current assault on Western democracies. “Project Russia” is a series of books published between 2005 and 2010, and it outlines a strategic vision for total war on the West, against democracies, and against the US dollar and other fiat currencies. Nearly unknown to Western analysts, the concepts described in Project Russia increasingly reflect the events we see playing out on a daily basis: a war over competing worldviews with capture of media, the use of podcasts and other alternative media to challenge the mainstream press, and the emergence of a new class of unelected ‘elite’ demagogues who seem to be taking control of global affairs. This episode analyzes the four original Project Russia books with the help of Google’s NotebookLM, and offers ‘deep dives’ into specific areas of the texts. More on Project Russia from Dave Troy: https://washingtonspectator.org/project-russia-reveals-putins-playbook/ Keywords: Project Russia, conservatism, nationalism, religion, Orthodoxy, geopolitics, ideology, Antichrist, apocalypse, conspiracy, collapse, future, prediction, The Idea, world order, West, elites, manipulation, control, change, modernity, post-modernity, capitalism, consumerism, society, state, power, authority, history, monarchy.

The next episode, just released, features Lucy Ash, an award-winning BBC journalist and documentarian, and her new book The Baton And The Cross: Russia's Church from Pagans to Putin. It offers a terrific overview of the Russian Orthodox Church and its full transformation into a wing of the Russian state under Putin. Russian Orthodoxy is also the kernel of Project Russia. For Yuriev and the other Project Russia authors, religion (specifically Russian orthodoxy) is the "great idea" which will enable the realization of the "Third Rome" — or "Third Empire" envisioned in Yuriev's novel.

The Geopolitics of the Russian Orthodox Church with Lucy Ash - Dave Troy Presents
Dave interviews noted British journalist and documentarian Lucy Ash about her new book, The Baton and the Cross: Russia’s Church from Pagans to Putin. They discuss intricate relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the modern Russian state. The interview explores the history of Orthodoxy in Russia, tracing its origins from medieval times through periods of upheaval, including the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalinist era. Lucy discusses the personal connections that inspired her to write the book, her early perceptions of the church’s potential for good, and how current events are influenced by historical precedents. The conversation examines key figures such as Patriarch Kirill and President Vladimir Putin, highlighting how orthodoxy has been used to underpin Russian nationalism and policy. The dialogue also touches on the broader social impacts of this relationship, including attitudes towards LGBTQ+ issues and women’s rights. The interview concludes with reflections on Putin’s personal religiosity and his regime’s strategic use of the church to consolidate power. The Baton and the Cross Lucy Ash on X Lucy Ash Website 00:00 Introduction and Personal Connection to Russia 03:55 Historical Background of the Orthodox Church in Russia 08:27 Ivan the Terrible and the Oprichniki 11:40 Peter the Great and Catherine the Great’s Influence 29:13 The Bolshevik Revolution and Its Impact on the Church 40:54 Smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe 42:33 Religion and State in Russia 44:06 Russian Mysticism and Superstition 46:09 Orthodoxy and Russian Identity 47:44 LGBTQ Issues and Russian Orthodoxy 50:49 Pussy Riot and Church-State Relations 53:03 Domestic Violence and the Church 57:01 Putin’s Spirituality and the Church 01:00:45 The Military Cathedral 01:06:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

And to bring us full circle, the third episode features Dina Khapaeva, to update us on her article from 2022, and to ask the important question: why don't Western leaders and policymakers understand the danger we are in? Listen to the episode for the full answer, but the short answer is Westerners really don't want to take the time to understand the Russian worldview, instead preferring to project their own ideas of realpolitik onto the current conflict. This is both troubling and dangerous, as you'll hear, and you'll get an in-depth overview of Yuriev's Third Empire that ties extremely well to the other two episodes.

Russia’s Third Empire with Dina Khapaeva - Dave Troy Presents
Dave interviews Dina Khapaeva, Russian culture expert at Georgia Tech, about the book “Third Empire: Russia as it ought to be,” written by Mikhail Yuriev, one of the authors of Project Russia, which we have also covered in the last two episodes. Dina specializes in Russian historical memory and contemporary issues. She provides an in-depth background on her research and her personal history, including her family’s experience with Stalinist terror. The discussion focuses on the troubling, far-right ideologies that have been shaping Russia’s political strategy, particularly explored through the lens of Mikhail Yuryev’s novel ‘Third Empire, The Russia That Ought To Be’ and the Project Russia texts. Dr. Penkrmanova explains how these narratives, rooted in neo-Eurasianist ideology and medieval Russian history, inform Putin’s geopolitics and expansionist aims. The conversation also touches on the implications of these ideologies for Western policymakers and the political landscape, emphasizing the urgent need to recognize and respond to these Russian ambitions. The Utopian Russian Novel that Predicted Putin’s War Plan, March 26, 2022 The West Doesn’t Realize How Much Danger It’s In, August 24, 2022 Putin’s Dark Ages, 2023 Dina Khapaeva website 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 00:17 Early Career and Shift to Sociology 01:00 Focus on Historical Memory 02:24 Current Role at Georgia Tech 02:59 Discussion on Mikhail Yuryev’s Book 03:49 Yuryev’s Influence and Political Connections 07:05 Fortress Russia and Far-Right Ideology 10:18 Neo-Eurasianism and Western Perception 19:57 Summary of ‘Third Empire’ Plot 23:07 Implications of Yuryev’s Vision 32:04 The Devastation of War: Casualties and Destruction 32:58 Russian Ideology: Antichrist and Apocalypse 33:42 Western Perception and Putin’s Strategy 34:34 The Primakov Doctrine and Nuclear Threats 38:14 Yuriev’s Vision: A New Social Order 45:58 The Role of Memory Politics in Russia 51:49 Yuriev’s Influence in the United States 57:21 The Patriarchal Society and Gender Issues 01:00:41 The Urgency of Recognizing the Russian Threat 01:03:10 Conclusion: The Future of Russia and Global Implications

After Putin's 2022 full invasion of Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister said of Vladimir Putin, "He has three advisors: Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great." Listen for that important through-line as you absorb these episodes. Also listen for mention of the oprichniki, the fearsome secret police created by Ivan the Terrible to enforce his will. Yuriev proposes bringing back the oprichniki in his new societal order — with Russia as master of the world, and Europe and America enslaved to it.

Ties to Mike Johnson and Maria Butina

While Yuriev died in 2019, that was after he moved to the United States in 2013 and helped establish a company called American Ethane, founded with Konstantin Nikolaev, a Putin crony. As previously reported, American Ethane became a major backer of current House Speaker Mike Johnson (whose lack of financial footprint has raised questions). Nikolaev also provided support for the well-known Russian spy Maria Butina. American Ethane CEO John Houghtaling also has a Russian wife who worked for Kremlin-connected Elite Model Management. More on that here.

What’s Up With Mike Johnson’s Very Shady-Seeming Financial Disclosures?
The new House leader lists no bank accounts, including checking or savings, on financial disclosure forms going back to 2016.

Listen to these episodes and read the linked sources; it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that we are in grave danger — due to laziness, lack of knowledge, and a lack of will to engage in the difficult work of understanding the worldviews of our adversaries, however broken or bankrupt they may be.

It's likely that we will not be able to educate policymakers or the public in time to avert a catastrophe, but that doesn't relieve us of the duty to try; so please share this with your networks. It may help.

Additional Reading

“Project Russia,” Reveals Putin’s Playbook | Washington Spectator
Between 2005 and 2010, a set of books called “Project Russia” was distributed to high-ranking officials in the Russian government and other influential thought leaders. The books offered a detailed…
The Baton and the Cross – Icon Books
Putin’s Dark Ages: Political Neomedievalism and Re-Stalinization in Russia
Two decades before the war against Ukraine, a “special operation” was launched against Russian historical memory, aggressively reshaping the nation’s understanding of its history and identity. The Kremlin’s militarization of Russia through World War