Project Russia, a series of books published between 2005 and 2010, aimed to establish a “supranational” state headed by a Prince-Monk who “best understands the world.”
The plan was designed to subjugate the world and unite it in a single religion. The book was primarily attributed to Yuriy Shalyganov, a man born in 1967 and rumored to be connected to the FSB. The books were published by EKSMO, one of the country’s largest publishers, and are widely believed to have been commissioned by the Kremlin and possibly connected to Putin pal Vladimir Yakunin.
Project Russia’s disdain for democracies is rooted in the concept of decadence, which is seen as inextricably linked to capitalism and materialistic desire. Democracy is seen as inextricably linked to capitalism and communism, driven by a godless desire to sell ever more consumer goods.
The authors propose a new model — neither capitalism nor communism — rooted in the “great idea” of a universal religion. Armed with this moral shield, they intend to conquer any foe.
The books also cite a favourite trope of Putin’s, the “Golden Billion,” which suggests that the US and Europe unfairly lord over the rest of the world while representing only a fraction of its population and consuming the bulk of its resources. Project Russia asks, “What will the [rest] of the world’s population do? Live on Mars’ resources?”
The authors of Project Russia believe that the United States is bound to failure due to the perceived reliance on “printing money,” or US dollar hegemony. They believe that a new phase is coming in the development of human society, and all will collapse—both Europe and America, and the U.S. dollar.
The capture of the presidency by Putin through his proxies Donald Trump and Elon Musk presents a unique opportunity to accelerate destabilization.
On January 20, 2025, we will face a barrage of chaotic assaults including potential US debt default, damaging new tariffs, mass firings of federal employees, and catastrophic budget cuts. Their primary target, the dollar, will be assaulted from every angle.
Unfortunately, there is a natural constituency for Putin’s accelerationist agenda in the United States. Elon Musk has mentioned the concept of ‘American Bankruptcy’ no fewer than 25 times since March 2024, and eight times in November alone. In addition to Musk and his DOGE colleagues Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Ron Paul, Gary North, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have all expressed support for terminating the Federal Reserve and favor new currency models, including cryptocurrencies.
Once dollar destabilization is underway, there is no way to guess where it might take us. The Kremlin sees this as an opportunity to establish a kind of “supranational autocracy” or “monarchy” at a global scale, where Putin is effectively “King of the World.” This vision of Putin as the “Prince-Monk” is aspirational, as Russia is weak in many ways and needs to square its global ambitions with geopolitical facts.
Elon Musk appears to be Putin’s point person in the United States, and we can envision the resulting autocracy as one led by Putin, Xi, Musk, and a handful of their trusted henchmen.
Project Russia, led by Putin, is a significant threat to democracy in the United States. The American public is set to witness the unfolding of this agenda in the first half of 2025, and Congress must decide whether to support it or react to the series of attacks.
The threat is esoteric and unpredictable, and it is uncertain if the US will be able to defend its values against the Kremlin’s attacks.
While it is possible to use our institutions to stop this assault, it is unlikely that they can comprehend and respond to the esoteric nature of this threat.
The ethical response should be to brace for impact, hope the public wakes up, and defend American values as we build whatever may come next.
If successful, we must craft a positive vision for the future of democracy that can survive the threat posed by Project Russia.
Until a powerful counter-narrative is offered, this assault is expected to continue until completion.
