Konstantin Gaaze's book, "Where Dictatorships Are Drifting," chronicles the historical evolution of Russian autocracy, culminating in a full-scale invasion of a neighboring country. In pondering why Russia attacked Ukraine, the author dismisses two well-worn theories—the country's eternal historical fate and the sinister personality of its ruler. Instead, he offers the reader the results of his historical and sociological investigation, which spanned 11 years, beginning in March 2014. Drawing on unique internal documents from the Kremlin and the Russian government, modern academic theories, and classic historical sources, he reveals what compelled the Westernized Russian elite to challenge the "collective West," how the government literally reshaped Russian society to serve the goals and objectives of the war, and why numerous members of the intelligentsia, entrenched in the power vertical, failed to prevent the war.

Konstantin Gaaze is a sociologist, winner of the 2017 Profession – Journalist award in the Journalism category, and a former Russian official.