Drawing on a wide array of Russian sources, this genealogy of contemporary Russian ideas about Europe adds to our understanding of that country's perception of the West. The book outlines the Russian debate about Europe as it unfolded over the last two hundred years. After the Soviet hiatus, Russia is once again in the midst of an intellectual and structural adjustment to Western models. The questions of to what extent and at which speed the market, the multi-party system and other creations of European history should be adopted by Russia is of overwhelming contemporary importance. Iver Neumann argues that the process of delineating a European other' from the Russian self is an active part of Russian identity formation. The Russian debate about Europe is also a debate about what Russia is and should be. This book will be of great interest to students of Russian studies, European studies and international relations, and to any reader interested in the concepts of nation and identity.