First published in Deník N “Perhaps Russia was too successful for too long,” argues Czech political geographer Michael Romancov. Speaking with Petra Procházková in a Deník N podcast, the academic examines the vast scale of Russia’s empire and how historical narratives feed Kremlin expansionism today. Key questions: Why did Russia’s vast size mean strength and weakness simultaneously? Which powers were able to stop Russia’s imperial ambitions? How was Alaska used to reach present-day California? And why was Alaska ultimately sold off? Why did expansionism become so key in theories of Russian security? And why did Russian narratives fail to abandon…