There is a strange connection between Britain and Russia, one marked especially on the Russian side by a striking mix of Anglophilia and a deep conviction that the British are their most subtle and dangerous rivals. In his talk Professor Mark Galeotti will explore the deep and long-standing cultural connections between the two countries, both the direct connections – which date back to the sixteenth century – and their unexpected commonalities, not least a certain feeling of ‘exceptionalism’ in both countries. Being at either end of the Continent, both Britain and Russia arguably consider themselves of but not necessarily in Europe. Professor Galeotti will describe how over the centuries – despite periodic tensions in the bilateral political relationship – in each country there has always been considerable interest in, as well as respect and admiration for, the other country’s activities and achievements. Mark will explore not only how this has created particular challenges for the UK in particular in its recent relationship with Russia, but the importance – even in the present extremely difficult circumstances – of “keeping the bridges open” and continuing to maintain contacts and people to people links where this is possible because, after all, there will be a Russia after Putin and not just the need but the desire to develop a renewed relationship.
Mark Galeotti is a highly-respected historian, lecturer and writer and acknowledged as one of the leading experts on modern Russia and Russian security. He has been researching, analysing and commenting on Russian history and Russia-related security issues since the 1980s. Based in the UK, he is an Honorary Professor at UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies and the director of the consultancy, Mayak Intelligence. He is also a Senior Associate Fellow with both RUSI (Royal United Services Institute) and the Council on Geostrategy, as well as a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, Prague. Before then, he was Professor of Global Affairs at New York University and head of History at Keele University, having been educated at Robinson College, Cambridge, where he read history for his MA, and the LSE, where he took his doctorate in government. A prolific author on Russia and Russian security affairs, he frequently acts as a consultant to various government, commercial and law enforcement agencies. From 1996-97 he was attached to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office as an adviser on Russian foreign and security policy.
Mark’s most recent books include Forged in War (Bloomsbury, 2024), Downfall: Prigozhin, Putin and the new fight for the future of Russia, with Anna Arutunyan (Ebury, 2024), Putin’s Wars (Bloomsbury, 2022), The Weaponisation of Everything (Yale, 2022), We Need To Talk About Putin (Ebury, 2019) and The Vory: Russia’s super mafia (Yale, 2018).
Booking will close 48 hours before the scheduled date for the event, i.e. by 7.00 pm on Tuesday, 4th March, so that we can notify KCL in advance of the names of those who have booked to attend in-person. GBRS will disseminate the Microsoft Teams link by email to online attendees on Wednesday, 5th March, the day before the talk on Thursday, 6th March.