KGB, Russian Academic Imperialism, Ukraine, and Western Academia, 1946-2024 - by Sergei I Zhuk (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book is a study of Soviet and Russian intelligence operations against the centers for Soviet studies in North American academia. Special attention is paid to the historical roots of contemporary Russian intelligence operations targeting American-Russian academics and prom...

Book Synopsis

This book is a study of Soviet and Russian intelligence operations against the centers for Soviet studies in North American academia. Special attention is paid to the historical roots of contemporary Russian intelligence operations targeting American-Russian academics and promoting Russian state interests in the ongoing war against Ukraine.

Review Quotes

"In this provocative, original, and timely analysis of Soviet and post-Soviet Russian infiltration of American academe, Sergei Zhuk once again demonstrates his expertise on the cultural Cold War and its ramifications. Skillfully employing unparalleled access to KGB archives and networks, as well as his own experiences as a Soviet Americanist, Zhuk offers fascinating insights into the Soviet manipulation of soft power and post-Soviet efforts to continue the russification of American Slavists through university "Slavic studies" programs and research centers that remain focused on Russia. By impeding the cultural and historical decolonization of the USSR/Russian Federation, Zhuk argues that these tactics have succeeded in raising doubts among American power brokers about Ukraine's place in the world. Essential reading for everyone interested in the nexus of academe, intelligence, and policymaking."

"In this stunningly revelatory book, Sergei I. Zhuk exposes Russia's clandestine operations to influence academics (especially in the anglophone world) to form (and present to the public) views favorable to Russia. From the appropriation of Kyiv-Rus' to Russia's on-going war against Ukraine, Moscow consistently and systematically has endeavored to forge the academic views of the world in its interests. Unfortunately, and to Moscow's great satisfaction, some of those most influential in academic circles have been manipulated, often without their noticing it, and have been propagating 'Russian academic imperialism.' Russia has gone about this in numerous ways, which the author discusses in detail. This volume will serve to alert those who have been blind to silent Russian influence operations in academia. In this sense, every scholar in the field should read this book."

"Sergei I. Zhuk's book is a thoroughly researched and original archival study of Soviet and Russian intelligence and the Russians' influence operations against Western academia. Zhuk's crystal-clear analysis is grounded in the intellectual history of Soviet/Slavic/Russian/Ukrainian studies in the West, highlighting the legacy of the KGB's practices and its pernicious influence on American and European politics and education. This fresh iconoclastic account reveals the powerful capabilities of Russian ideological subversion, and is a must-read book for scholars and intelligence practitioners, Western policy makers, and broader audiences."

"Sergei Zhuk documents an eerie tale of the KGB's infiltration of Western universities and the channels of East-West academic exchange during the Cold War. The same tactics and methods, hinged on the use of university professors and researchers as "agents of influence," are now being used by the intelligence agencies of Putin's Russia and other non-democratic states to subvert the Western centers of learning from within. This book is a necessary wake-up call for all who care about the preservation of democracy, civil liberties, and human rights in the increasingly dangerous and unpredictable world."

"Sergei Zhuk masterfully analyses how the USSR and post-Soviet Russia have successfully influenced Western scholars, academic institutions, research, and writing 'academic imperialism' through agents of influence, Ukrainian and Russian diaspora's, academic conferences and exchanges and oligarchs. Western historians of Russia and the Kremlin denied Ukrainians a separate identity by submerging them within pan-Russian history. In 2014, influential Western academics blamed the West for Russia's first invasion of Ukraine and defended Russia's annexation of Crimea with Russia's full-scale invasion six years later exposing the biased Russophile roots of 'academic imperialism.'"

"Sergei Zhuk's book is an excellent archive-based study that examines Russian intelligence active measures targeting Western academia. Immersing readers in the murky world of the Putin regime attempts to cultivate its supporters and sympathizers among American and European intellectuals, Zhuk demonstrates well that this academic imperialism builds on the Soviet KGB legacy practices."

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Americans thought the KGB-FBI spy wars had ended. How wrong they were. In 2010, the Obama administration deported ten Russians who had infiltrated the United States. Those long-term agents were illegals, spying without diplomatic cover, and were a sign that espionage and influence operations against the US were not only ongoing but escalating. Zhuk, a Ukrainian-born, Russian-trained academic, explains how Russian intelligence agencies have not only continued their influence operations against the West but upped their game. The fact that Russian historians were finding employment in American universities after 1991 added a new dimension to Russian efforts to influence American policy toward Ukraine and the ensuing Russian invasion. Zhuk cited an example of this effort when a Russian apologist from the Wilson Center was nearly appointed director of the Russian division of the National Security Council in 2021. Only an outcry from other scholars kept the Biden administration from hiring him. Zhuk's new study is a must for all academic libraries with an interest in Russian espionage and influence operations in the United States and Canada.Highly recommended. General readers through faculty; professionals.

About the Author

Sergei I. Zhuk is professor of history at Ball State University.