In recent years, or even decades, the top Russian officials’ rhetoric has frequently included mentioning historical personalities and events that underline the “chosen” nature of the Russian people and its “special mission”; this is the Kremlin’s version of the past. However, this past is actually used to cover up financial interests of Russia’s political elites, as well as the Kremlin’s wounded ego.
How are such historical narratives used to justify today’s aggression, and how did the Russian government manage to monopolize history?