Flaptekst

“This impressive work provides a forensic exploration of the hidden structure of the West’s hostility to Russia, exposing deep-seated antipathies and phobias and the resulting mania of negation. A nuanced, sophisticated, and accessible demystification of one of the most troubling political and cultural phenomena of our times.” 
 
--Richard Sakwa, University of Kent, author of The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire (2026)
 
“A timely and hugely important book on the phenomenal growth of the Cancel Russia movement. Andrei Tsygankov explores the movement’s roots and exposes its extremist tendencies. For really radical Russophobes, cancelling Russia is merely the prelude to its eradication, not just as a Great Power but as society and culture as well. Tsygankov’s book is sure to become a classic of contemporary political analysis.”
 
--Geoffrey Roberts, University College Cork, Member of the Royal Irish Academy, author of Stalin’s Library (2022)
This book focuses on Western attitudes toward Russia and the Russians following Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Western attitudes, while diverse, often revealed a highly negative reaction that condemned not only the Kremlin but the broader Russian society for its alleged complicity and support for the war. The author uses the metaphor of “canceling” to capture the attitude toward Russians that (1) holds them responsible for the war in Ukraine, (2) denies acceptance and recognition to various expressions of Russian culture, politics, and society, and (3) favors maximum pressures and the ultimate defeat over negotiations with Russia.
Andrei P. Tsygankov is Professor of International Relations and Political Science at San Francisco State University. He is the author of Russian Westernizers and Change in International Relations (2024), The “Russian Idea” in International Relations (2023), and Russian Realism (2022).