1. A Shifting Vision of the Nation: Constructs of Russianness in the Aftermath of the Crimean War -- 2. The Varangian Legend: Defining the Nation through the Foundation Myth -- 3. War as Peace: The Symbol of Popular War during the Polish Uprising (1863-64) -- 4. Literary Representations of a Nation at War: From Apocalyptic Battle to Beehive -- 5. The Myth of Spiritual Descent: Remapping the Empire