The not-so-young will surely remember the tense atmosphere in the world at the time of the Cold War, and how the great rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union created the fear of a war of unprecedented dimensions (and perhaps it was the fear of this war that saved us).

In these weeks instead there is nothing but talk about the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and the possibility that a new war could break out soon in that territory (even if obviously it is not convenient for anyone, Russia first of all).

But Russia is not only this, we must not make the mistake of considering it "enemy and opposite" to what we are and our way of life. The Soviet territory is also, or rather above all, a territory rich in history, culture and very different populations.

That's why I decided to write about Russia in my latest publication "History of Russia: From the Mongol Invasion to the Putin Era, Discover the History of the World Largest Country", where I talk about the history of this immense territory from the first human settlements to the present day.