Orlando Guy Figes ( (born 20 November 1959) is a British historian and writer known for his works on Russian and European history. He is professor of history at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Figes is best known for his works on Russian history, such as A People's Tragedy (1996), Natasha's Dance (2002), The Whisperers (2007), Crimea (2010) and Just Send Me Word (2012). A People's Tragedy is a study of the Russian Revolution, and combines social and political history with biographical details in a historical narrative.
Figes was the historical consultant on the 2012 film Anna Karenina and also worked as the historical consultant on the 2016 BBC War & Peace television series directed by Tom Harper with a screenplay by Andrew Davies.
Figes serves on the editorial board of the journal Russian History, writes for the international press, broadcasts on television and radio, reviews for the New York Review of Books, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.His books have been translated into over thirty languages