This article features a conversation with Cambridge historian Hubertus Jahn, who describes how Russia’s war has transformed Russian Studies, creating a “déjà vu” effect of Soviet- era restrictions. Drawing on German experiences with the Nazi legacy, he suggests that Russia will need a similar post-imperial reckoning. He advocates for media literacy education, support for independent Russian media in exile, increased funding for Eastern European Studies, and decolonizing rather than abandoning Russian history.
