The Geopolitics of Culture

Through the lens of James Billington and the institution he led as Librarian of Congress during a key period of US-Russian relations, The Geopolitics of Culture examines culture as a neglected area in US foreign policy. Billington advised presidents and members of Congress as well as mobilized the resources of the Library of Congress to promote reform in Russia. He believed that rather than preaching at the Russians, the US should expose the rising generation of Russian leaders to what was best in America and encourage them to rediscover positive elements in pre-Bolshevik Russian culture.

The Geopolitics of Culture is the first book to chronicle Billington's influence on US engagement with Russia as it transitioned from communism to democracy under Gorbachev and Yeltsin and back to authoritarianism under Yeltsin and Putin. Drawing on published and archival sources (including recently released papers) and interviews with current and retired Library of Congress staff, John Van Oudenaren casts new light on this era.

Billington's efforts led to a remarkable degree of cooperation between the Library of Congress and Russian cultural and political institutions. These efforts ultimately failed, however, as Putin turned back toward authoritarianism. The experience of the Library of Congress in this period nonetheless holds important lessons for today. Billington believed that a transition to democracy in Russia was essential if the US was to head off the geopolitical nightmare of a Eurasia dominated by an alliance of hostile authoritarian powers. The "geopolitics of culture" thus remains a challenge for US foreign policy.