Nationalist imaginings of the Russian past

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Anatolii Fomenko, a prominent Russian mathematician and popular history writer, is the founder of the New Chronology school, part of a surge of alternative historical narratives emerging in post-Soviet Russia. His controversial assertions include claims that the Old Testament was written after the New Testament, that Russia predates Greece and Rome, and that the medieval Mongol Empire was actually a Slav-Turk world empire, a Russian Horde that received tribute from Western and Eastern powers. While mainstream historians often label Fomenko as a dangerous ethno-nationalist or a post-modern clown, his works consistently outperform those of traditional historians in sales. Just as Putin has rekindled faith in Russia's future, Fomenko and a cohort of alternative historians aim to instill pride in Russia's past. For Fomenko, understanding this past is crucial for Russia's future greatness. He builds on existing Russian identity notions, emphasizing the virtues of empire and Russia's unique mission. His ideas draw from historical attempts to shape Russian identity, including Slavophilism, Stalinism, and Eurasianism. Despite their fantastical nature, Fomenko's pseudo-historical narratives resonate with many Russian readers, who view them as equally valid as the distortions of Communist propagandists, Tsarist historians, and church chroniclers.