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In the face of Islamist terrorism, Russia undertook a military operation in Syria to protect its interests as a Muslim country and a multifaith state. Its achievements have embarrassed NATO, while reinforcing Russia’s position as a Eurasian power to be reckoned with. Since the Ukrainian crisis unfolded, the theme of the Cold War has been at the forefront in analyses of the situation in Russia. We shall return to this “Russian misunderstanding,” which prevents us from understanding what is really happening in this huge country. We will see how the changes that have been occurring inside Russian Islam are altering the Russians’ vision of themselves and of their place in a globalized world. We will analyze the relationship between a domestic patriotism and an outward-facing “conservative” messianism. It is only by going back through Russia’s long history that we will be able to appreciate the depth of the abyss into which globalization has thrown this country. It used to be an empire and it used to be socialist; it is now a nation-state, and it is liberal.