Putin's War

• Date: 08 April
• Time: 19:30 - 21:00
• Location: Nieuwspoort

Please note: this is a Dutch-language event.

Special evening marking the book launch

Putin plunged Europe into the greatest war since World War II. The question of why he single-handedly chose the path of destruction continues to fascinate. How did Putin become radicalized? And on what historical and religious grounds does he justify the war?

In *Putin’s War*, Beatrice de Graaf and Niels Drost convincingly demonstrate why this Russia does not want peace, but will fight on to the bitter end. Based on thousands of speeches, they make it clear that Putin is driven by religious and historical convictions, something we in the West find difficult to comprehend.

What does Putin’s view of the Russian past tell us about our own future? And what narrative must we counter it with? In the week their book *Putin’s Tsarist Dream* is released, Beatrice and Niels make clear why we must take Putin’s fairy tales seriously in order to face reality.

• This evening is an adapted version of the earlier theater lecture Putin's War. Together, Beatrice and Niels wrote the book Putin's Tsarist Dream, which will be published soon.
• Beatrice de Graaf is a historian, Faculty Professor of Humanities at Utrecht University, and author of several books.
• Niels Drost is a Russia researcher at the Clingendael Institute. 

Practical information:

Date: April 8, 2026
Start: 19:30
End: 21:00
Regular tickets p.p. €19.50 and for Poorters / Nieuwspoort members €16.50 p.p.
Chef's special:

You can come for a bite to eat beforehand; order the Chef's Special for €16.50 in addition to your main ticket, and you are welcome in our restaurant from 18:00 onwards. The special is: Beef stroganoff with fries and salad or the vegetarian variant: Falafel stroganoff with fries and salad.

Show on map