Liberalism is a critically important topic in the contemporary world as liberal values and institutions are in retreat in countries where they seemed relatively secure. Lucidly written and accessible, this book offers an important yet neglected Russian aspect to the history of political liberalism. Vanessa Rampton examines Russian engagement with liberal ideas during Russia's long nineteenth century, focusing on the high point of Russian liberalism from 1900 to 1914. It was then that a self-consciously liberal movement took shape, followed by the founding of the country's first liberal (Constitutional-Democratic or Kadet) party in 1905. For a brief, revelatory period, some Russians - an eclectic group of academics, politicians and public figures - drew on liberal ideas of Western origin to articulate a distinctively Russian liberal philosophy, shape their country's political landscape, and were themselves partly responsible for the tragic experience of 1905.

Winner, 2020 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

‘Historian of ideas Rampton (McGill Univ.) has written a book that provides a surprisingly clear and cogent introduction to liberal ideas and writing in the final third of the Romanov dynasty.’

J. C. Sandstrom Source: Choice

‘… the book contains much fascinating detail that tells us a great deal about intellectual culture in turn-of-the-century Russia, and as such, I would consider the book to be a … rewarding read.’

Stefan Kirmse Source: H-Soz-Kult

‘Rampton’s book presents a valuable contribution to Russian intellectual history. Her emphasis on inherent tensions and contradictions within the liberal tradition offers a new conceptual approach to analyzing the boundaries between various ideologies in Russia. One may hope that the important issue raised in the book - the existence of chauvinistic elements within Russian liberal thought - will receive more attention from intellectual historians.’

Julia Berest Source: Canadian-American Slavic Studies

‘To claim that Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia is meticulously researched would be to understate the impressive wealth of material that Rampton draws from to explain the rise and demise of liberalism in Russia. She cites a mix of primary and secondary sources, including works written not only in English and Russian, but also French-, German-, and even Italian-language books and articles. Hers is a work of comparative intellectual history in the truest sense.’

Matthew Slaboch Source: Global Intellectual History

‘The comparative and transnational perspective outlining the translation of Western liberal ideas into the Russian context, as well as the unique paths of Russian liberalism, makes this book unique.’

Taro Tsurumi Source: H-Nationalism

‘A compact, inviting, and accessible study.’

Randall A. Poole Source: Northwestern University Studies in Russian Philosophy, Literature, and Religious Thought

‘As the author concludes, liberalism in different countries has many common features, although within the liberal community itself there was no single, consolidated opinion on the fundamental concepts of freedom, forms of government, and even revolution.’

Yu.V. Dunaeva Source: Sotsial’nye i gumanitarnye nauki

‘As Rampton shows, [Russian liberals’] earnest and anguished grappling with the acute dilemmas of the early 20th century resonate to this day in the pursuit of liberal politics in Russia and around the globe.’

Daniel Beer Source: Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History

‘A well-researched book that presents a previously little-known topic on the place of Russian liberals in the broader transnational context of liberalism.’

Aleksandr Korobeinikov Source: Canadian Slavonic Papers

‘Rampton offers an excellent discussion of the socio-political and intellectual context that influenced the Russian engagement with liberal ideas.’

Julia Berest Source: Canadian-American Slavic Studies

‘Rampton’s monograph successfully combines historical and intellectual contextualization, an account of the introduction of liberal ideas into late imperial Russia, close analysis of various Russian liberal thinkers, and thoughtful discussion of recurrent liberal dilemmas.’

Derek Offord Source: American Historical Review

‘Rampton’s refusal to define liberalism in terms of core values or specific institutional preferences is a major strength of her work.’

Paul Robinson Source: Russian Review