This work investigates the emergence and ideological foundations of Russian nationalism within the late Soviet period. John B. Dunlop, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, utilizes historical analysis and examination of contemporary political discourse to argue that a distinct, often anti-Western, nationalist sentiment was gaining significant traction among the Soviet intelligentsia and political fringes during the mid-1980s.

Experts in Soviet studies identify this text as a foundational resource for understanding the intellectual precursors to modern Russian political identity. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's meticulous documentation of obscure political pamphlets.