Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine

Download Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472833457
Total Pages : 65 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine by : Mark Galeotti

Download or read book Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine written by Mark Galeotti and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-27 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explaining and illustrating the immediate background to the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, this book investigates the Ukrainian and Russian regular and irregular forces which have been fighting in the Donbas region since 2014. In February 2014, street protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities led to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. Simultaneously, Russia carried out an almost-bloodless seizure of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. Ukraine's 'Euromaidan Revolution' would see many changes to the country's constitution, and a turn towards the West for civic assistance and military training. Meanwhile, a violent reaction in the mainly Russian-speaking south-eastern industrial Donbas region led to a local armed counter-revolution, backed by Russia from April 2014. This conflict became an essential example of Russia's policy of so-called 'hybrid warfare', which pursues its strategic aims by a blend of propaganda and misinformation with the clandestine deployment of Special Forces and regular troops, alongside 'deniable' proxies and mercenaries. Meanwhile, Ukraine's efforts to reform its government culminated in the landslide election of President Zelensky in April 2019. Using his extensive contacts in both Russia and Ukraine, Prof Mark Galeotti presents a thorough and intriguing primer on all the forces involved in the conflict up to 2018. Supported by orders-of-battle, colour photos and specially commissioned artwork, his book also analyses the background and the stuttering progress of the war, and addresses the Russian military capabilities which are today being tested in all-out battle.

War with Russia

Download War with Russia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Quercus
ISBN 13 : 1681441373
Total Pages : 425 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (814 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis War with Russia by : Richard Shirreff

Download or read book War with Russia written by Richard Shirreff and published by Quercus. This book was released on 2016-09-27 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rapid rise in Russia's power over the course of the last ten years has been matched by a stunning lack of international diplomacy on the part of its president, Vladimir Putin. One consequence of this, when combined with Europe's rapidly shifting geopolitics, is that the West is on a possible path toward nuclear war. Former deputy commander of NATO General Sir Richard Shirreff speaks out about this very real peril in this call to arms, a novel that is a barely disguised version of the truth. In chilling prose, it warns allied powers and the world at large that we risk catastrophic nuclear conflict if we fail to contain Russia's increasingly hostile actions. In a detailed plotline that draws upon Shirreff's years of experience in tactical military strategy, Shirreff lays out the most probable course of action Russia will take to expand its influence, predicting that it will begin with an invasion of the Baltic states. And with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump recently declaring that he might not come to the aid of these NATO member nations were he to become president, the threat of an all-consuming global conflict is clearer than ever. This critical, chilling fictional look at our current geopolitical landscape, written by a top NATO commander, is both timely and necessary-a must-read for any fan of realistic military thrillers as well as all concerned citizens.

The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016

Download The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472819098
Total Pages : 68 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016 by : Mark Galeotti

Download or read book The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016 written by Mark Galeotti and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-23 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A full and authoritative illustrated history of Russia's army since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, including Air Assault and Navy ground forces. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's army has undergone a turbulent transformation, from the scattered left-overs of the old Soviet military, through a period of shocking decay and demoralization, to the disciplined force and sophisticated 'hybrid war' doctrine that enabled Vladimir Putin to seize Crimea virtually overnight in 2014. Using rare photographs and full colour images of the army in action, profiles of army leaders and defence ministers, as well as orders of battle and details of their equipment and dress, this is a vivid account of the army's troubled history and of its character, capabilities and status. Written by an internationally respected author with remarkable access to Russian-language sources and Russian veterans, this study is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the growing power of Russia's military.

Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine

Download Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231801386
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (318 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine by : Elizabeth A. Wood

Download or read book Roots of Russia's War in Ukraine written by Elizabeth A. Wood and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In February 2014, Russia initiated a war in Ukraine, its reasons for aggression unclear. Each of this volume's authors offers a distinct interpretation of Russia's motivations, untangling the social, historical, and political factors that created this war and continually reignite its tensions. What prompted President Vladimir Putin to send troops into Crimea? Why did the conflict spread to eastern Ukraine with Russian support? What does the war say about Russia's political, economic, and social priorities, and how does the crisis expose differences between the EU and Russia regarding international jurisdiction? Did Putin's obsession with his macho image start this war, and is it preventing its resolution? The exploration of these and other questions gives historians, political watchers, and theorists a solid grasp of the events that have destabilized the region.

Armies in Southern Russia 1918–19

Download Armies in Southern Russia 1918–19 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472844793
Total Pages : 50 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Armies in Southern Russia 1918–19 by : Phoebus Athanassiou

Download or read book Armies in Southern Russia 1918–19 written by Phoebus Athanassiou and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-24 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An important aspect of the Russian Civil War were the several Allied expeditions immediately following World War I in support of the disunited Russian 'White' armies resisting the Bolshevik Revolution. Although they ended in failure, these ventures were long resented, and were the origin of the 70-year-long Soviet suspicion of the Western Allies. British and US expeditionary forces operated in North Russia and Siberia in support of General Yudenich and Admiral Kolchak respectively, and a French and Greek expeditionary force (plus Romanian and Polish elements) operated in Crimea and south-western Ukraine, in support of General Denikin. The situation was further complicated by the presence of strong Imperial German elements still under arms, and by war between various factions in the Ukraine. This Southern theatre of the Allied interventions is far less well known than that of the British and Americans in the North and East. Featuring rare photos and new colour plates, this fascinating new book describes this major Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Dr Phoebus Athanassiou writes a compelling account of how the French and Greeks alongside White Russians were greatly outnumbered by pro-Bolshevik forces and were relentlessly pushed back by the Ukrainian forces. In just over 4 months, on 28 April 1919, the last of their forces were evacuated by Allied navies from Sevastopol in Crimea.

The Russian Way of War

Download The Russian Way of War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Mentor Military
ISBN 13 : 9781940370194
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (71 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Russian Way of War by : Lester W. Grau

Download or read book The Russian Way of War written by Lester W. Grau and published by Mentor Military. This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Force Structure, Tactics, and Modernization of the Russian Ground Forces The mighty Soviet Army is no more. The feckless Russian Army that stumbled into Chechnya is no more. Today's Russian Army is modern, better manned, better equipped and designed for maneuver combat under nuclear-threatened conditions. This is your source for the tactics, equipment, force structure and theoretical underpinnings of a major Eurasian power. Here's what the experts are saying: "A superb baseline study for understanding how and why the modern Russian Army functions as it does. Essential for specialist and generalist alike." -Colonel (Ret) David M. Glantz, foremost Western author on the Soviet Union in World War II and Editor of The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. "Congratulations to Les Grau and Chuck Bartles on filling a gap which has yawned steadily wider since the end of the USSR. Their book addresses evolving Russian views on war, including the blurring of its nature and levels, and the consequent Russian approaches to the Ground Forces' force structuring, manning, equipping, and tactics. Confidence is conferred on the validity of their arguments and conclusions by copious footnoting, mostly from an impressive array of primary sources. It is this firm grounding in Russian military writings, coupled with the authors' understanding of war and the Russian way of thinking about it, that imparts such an authoritative tone to this impressive work." -Charles Dick, former Director of the Combat Studies Research Centre, Senior Fellow at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, author of the 1991 British Army Field Manual, Volume 2, A Treatise on Soviet Operational Art and author of From Victory to Stalemate The Western Front, Summer 1944 and From Defeat to Victory, The Eastern Front, Summer 1944. "Dr. Lester Grau's and Chuck Bartles' professional research on the Russian Armed Forces is widely read throughout the world and especially in Russia. Russia's Armed Forces have changed much since the large-scale reforms of 2008, which brought the Russian Army to the level of the world's other leading armies. The speed of reform combined with limited information about their core mechanisms represented a difficult challenge to the authors. They have done a great job and created a book which could be called an encyclopedia of the modern armed forces of Russia. They used their wisdom and talents to explore vital elements of the Russian military machine: the system of recruitment and training, structure of units of different levels, methods and tactics in defense and offence and even such little-known fields as the Arctic forces and the latest Russian combat robotics." -Dr. Vadim Kozyulin, Professor of Military Science and Project Director, Project on Asian Security, Emerging Technologies and Global Security Project PIR Center, Moscow. "Probably the best book on the Russian Armed Forces published in North America during the past ten years. A must read for all analysts and professionals following Russian affairs. A reliable account of the strong and weak aspects of the Russian Army. Provides the first look on what the Russian Ministry of Defense learned from best Western practices and then applied them on Russian soil." -Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Moscow-based Centre for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) and member of the Public Council of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense. Author of Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine, Russia's New Army, and The Tanks of August.

The German Campaign in Russia

Download The German Campaign in Russia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The German Campaign in Russia by : George E. Blau

Download or read book The German Campaign in Russia written by George E. Blau and published by . This book was released on 1955 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Russia's War in Ukraine

Download Russia's War in Ukraine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : DigiCat
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 61 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (596 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russia's War in Ukraine by : Congressional Research Service

Download or read book Russia's War in Ukraine written by Congressional Research Service and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-11-26 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Russia's renewed invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 marked the start of Europe's deadliest armed conflict in decades. After a steady buildup of military forces along Ukraine's borders since 2021, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Russian ground forces attacking from multiple directions. This book addresses Russian and Ukrainian military and intelligence aspects of the war. It provides an overview of the conflict, including the run-up to the invasion, the performance and conduct of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, possible Russian intentions, and recent developments on the ground. Prelude to Invasion: Military Buildup and Force Posture Initial Invasion Analysis of Russia and Ukraine's Initial Military Performance Russian Performance Ukrainian Performance Possible Russian Intentions and Expectations 9 March-May 2022 May-September 2022 Kherson Region Offensive Kharkiv Offensive War Crimes Outlook

Spetsnaz

Download Spetsnaz PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472807235
Total Pages : 65 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Spetsnaz by : Mark Galeotti

Download or read book Spetsnaz written by Mark Galeotti and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-20 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Authoritative illustrated analysis of the history of the military Special Forces units of the Soviet Union and Russian Federation. When the shadowy, notorious Spetsnaz were first formed, they drew on a long Soviet tradition of elite, behind-the-lines commando forces from World War II and even earlier. Throughout the 1960s–70s they were instrumental both in projecting Soviet power in the Third World and in suppressing resistance within the Warsaw pact. As a powerful, but mysterious tool of a world superpower, the Spetsnaz have inevitably become the focus of many 'tall tales' in the West. In this book, a peerless authority on Russia's military Special Forces debunks several of these myths, uncovering truths that are often even more remarkable. Since the chaotic dissolution of the USSR and the two Chechen Wars, Russian forces have seen increasing modernization, involving them ever more in power-projection, counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism and the Spetsnaz have been deployed as a spearhead in virtually all of these operations. This fully illustrated book packed with details such as orders-of-battle, equipment and operational doctrine offers a unique, absorbing guide to the secrets of the Spetsnaz, their most noteworthy missions and personalities.

Russia's War in Ukraine

Download Russia's War in Ukraine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russia's War in Ukraine by : Bowen

Download or read book Russia's War in Ukraine written by Bowen and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991

Download Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780961073
Total Pages : 156 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 by : Mark Galeotti

Download or read book Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 written by Mark Galeotti and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed illustrated study of Putin's shadowy security and paramilitary armed forces. While the size of Russia's regular forces has shrunk recently, its security and paramilitary elements have become increasingly powerful. Under the Putin regime they have proliferated and importantly seem set to remain Russia's most active armed agencies for the immediate future. In parallel, within the murky world where government and private interests intersect, a number of paramilitary 'private armies' operate almost as vigilantes, with government toleration or approval. This book offers a succinct overview of the official, semi-official and unofficial agencies that pursue Russian government and quasi-government objectives by armed means, from the 200,000-strong Interior Troops, through Police and other independent departmental forces, down to private security firms. Featuring rare photographs, and detailed colour plates of uniforms, insignia and equipment, this study by a renowned authority explores the Putin regime's shadowy special-forces apparatus, active in an array of counter-terrorist and counter-mafia wars since 1991.

War with Russia?

Download War with Russia? PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1510745823
Total Pages : 403 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis War with Russia? by : Stephen F. Cohen

Download or read book War with Russia? written by Stephen F. Cohen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-11-27 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is America in a new Cold War with Russia? How does a new Cold War affect the safety and security of the United States? Does Vladimir Putin really want to destabilize the West? What should Donald Trump and America’s allies do? America is in a new Cold War with Russia even more dangerous than the one the world barely survived in the twentieth century. The Soviet Union is gone, but the two nuclear superpowers are again locked in political and military confrontations, now from Ukraine to Syria. All of this is exacerbated by Washington’s war-like demonizing of the Kremlin leadership and by Russiagate’s unprecedented allegations. US mainstream media accounts are highly selective and seriously misleading. American “disinformation,” not only Russian, is a growing peril. In War With Russia?, Stephen F. Cohen—the widely acclaimed historian of Soviet and post-Soviet Russia—gives readers a very different, dissenting narrative of this more dangerous new Cold War from its origins in the 1990s, the actual role of Vladimir Putin, and the 2014 Ukrainian crisis to Donald Trump’s election and today’s unprecedented Russiagate allegations. Topics include: Distorting Russia US Follies and Media Malpractices 2016 The Obama Administration Escalates Military Confrontation With Russia Was Putin’s Syria Withdrawal Really A “Surprise”? Trump vs. Triumphalism Has Washington Gone Rogue? Blaming Brexit on Putin and Voters Washington Warmongers, Moscow Prepares Trump Could End the New Cold War The Real Enemies of US Security Kremlin-Baiting President Trump Neo-McCarthyism Is Now Politically Correct Terrorism and Russiagate Cold-War News Not “Fit to Print” Has NATO Expansion Made Anyone Safer? Why Russians Think America Is Attacking Them How Washington Provoked—and Perhaps Lost—a New Nuclear-Arms Race Russia Endorses Putin, The US and UK Condemn Him (Again) Russophobia Sanction Mania Cohen’s views have made him, it is said, “America’s most controversial Russia expert.” Some say this to denounce him, others to laud him as a bold, highly informed critic of US policies and the dangers they have helped to create. War With Russia? gives readers a chance to decide for themselves who is right: are we living, as Cohen argues, in a time of unprecedented perils at home and abroad?

Brothers Armed

Download Brothers Armed PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781879944657
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (446 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Brothers Armed by : Colby Howard

Download or read book Brothers Armed written by Colby Howard and published by . This book was released on 2015-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition]

Download Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition] PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782899650
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (828 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition] by : Dr. Robert F. Baumann

Download or read book Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan [Illustrated Edition] written by Dr. Robert F. Baumann and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [Includes 12 maps and 4 tables] In recent years, the U.S. Army has paid increasing attention to the conduct of unconventional warfare. However, the base of historical experience available for study has been largely American and overwhelmingly Western. In Russian-Soviet Unconventional Wars in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, Dr. Robert F. Baumann makes a significant contribution to the expansion of that base with a well-researched analysis of four important episodes from the Russian-Soviet experience with unconventional wars. Primarily employing Russian sources, including important archival documents only recently declassified and made available to Western scholars, Dr. Baumann provides an insightful look at the Russian conquest of the Caucasian mountaineers (1801-59), the subjugation of Central Asia (1839-81), the reconquest of Central Asia by the Red Army (1918-33), and the Soviet war in Afghanistan (1979-89). The history of these wars—especially as it relates to the battle tactics, force structure, and strategy employed in them—offers important new perspectives on elements of continuity and change in combat over two centuries. This is the first study to provide an in-depth examination of the evolution of the Russian and Soviet unconventional experience on the predominantly Muslim southern periphery of the former empire. There, the Russians encountered fierce resistance by peoples whose cultures and views of war differed sharply from their own. Consequently, this Leavenworth Paper addresses not only issues germane to combat but to a wide spectrum of civic and propaganda operations as well.

Russia's War

Download Russia's War PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russia's War by : R. J. Overy

Download or read book Russia's War written by R. J. Overy and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of how the Soviet Union defeated the German invasion in World War II.

Combat Vehicles of Russia's Special Forces

Download Combat Vehicles of Russia's Special Forces PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472841840
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Combat Vehicles of Russia's Special Forces by : Mark Galeotti

Download or read book Combat Vehicles of Russia's Special Forces written by Mark Galeotti and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-28 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated study of both the combat vehicles of Russia's legendary Spetsnaz special forces and the whole range of unique and modified vehicles that Russia's elite units use, from combat snowmobiles to the world's biggest water-cannon. Elite forces need elite vehicles. As Vladimir Putin has devoted effort and funds into modernising Russia's armed forces and turning them into an instrument geared not just for defending the Motherland but also projecting power beyond its borders, Russia has seen a growing emphasis on special and specialist forces. Traditionally, the elite Spetsnaz commandos had to make do with regular vehicles or civilian-based 'technicals', not least to conceal their presence (or, indeed, very existence). Now, increasingly at the forefront of Russian power projection, the Spetsnaz are acquiring more capable, versatile vehicles, such as the paratroopers' BTR-D personnel carrier, and also experimenting with exotic, specialist new acquisitions, such as the Chaborz M-3 buggy and Yamaha Grizzly all-terrain vehicle. The other elite branches of Russia's forces, such as the Arctic-warfare troops of the 200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, the paratroopers of the Air Assault Troops (VDV), the Naval Infantry, and the elite units of the security forces are also developing and fielding new vehicles for their specialist roles, from combat snowmobiles to urban-warfare vehicles. From highly-mobile LMVs able to operate in the deserts of Syria or the streets of Ukraine, through dedicated fire-support vehicles such as the air-droppable Sprut-SD or the massive BMPT 'Terminator', to amphibious tanks and drone-equipped security trucks, these are the workhorses of Russia's special forces. This study explores all these combat vehicles in detail, combining expert analysis from Russia expert Mark Galeotti with highly accurate full-colour illustrations and photographs.

Russia

Download Russia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 067497848X
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (749 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Russia by : Gregory Carleton

Download or read book Russia written by Gregory Carleton and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-24 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Outsiders view Russia as an aggressor, but Russians see themselves as surrounded by enemies, defensively fighting off invader after invader, or called upon by history to be the savior of Europe, or Christianity, or civilization itself, often at immense cost. As Gregory Carleton shows, war is the unifying thread of Russia’s national epic.