Sören Urbansky, "Beyond the Steppe Frontier: A History of the Sino-Russian Border," (Princeton University Press, 2020)

Delve into the fascinating history of the Sino-Russian border, one of the longest and most geopolitically significant land boundaries in the world. Based on Soeren Urbansky’s groundbreaking research in Beyond the Steppe Frontier, this episode explores the evolution of this border from a loosely defined frontier in the seventeenth century to its transformation into a tightly controlled geopolitical boundary in the twentieth century. Through the perspectives of local communities—railroad workers, herdsmen, smugglers—and the transnational flows of people, goods, and ideas, this episode highlights the complexities of border-making. Learn how state policies of assimilation, reeducation, and propaganda suppressed traditional borderland cultures and reshaped this pivotal geographical periphery. Sino-Russian border history Borderland cultures Eurasian empires Border-making and geopolitics Transnational history Evolution of the Sino-Russian frontier Steppe frontier history Cultural suppression at borders Local perspectives on border policies Geopolitical significance of Sino-Russian relations Chinese History Russian History Borderland Frontier Sino Russian Borderlands East Asian Studies Podcast East Asian Studies