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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This seemed to be a decent introduction to post-Soviet life in Russia – life outside Moscow anyhow, which I gather is an oasis of expression in a desert of the suppression of human rights. The author had a tough balance to strike: she had to highlight the most corrupt policies and deplorable living conditions while arguing that A) in some respects Russians don’t have it much worse than Americans, and B) overall the quality of life has vastly improved since the fall of the Wall. I had no idea the 1990s were much a tumultuous time, though it makes sense considering they were converting to an economic system alien to most living citizens. The 90s and its connections with the West are a big part of the reason Russians are so supportive of Putin and so willing to demonize us. An example of the sheer horror of living/dying in Russia: Officers would beat a solider to death just for kicks, usually a solider of ethnic “minority” such as a Tartar, then instead of reporting the death to the soldier’s family, the officers would keep the soldier’s pay for themselves. (I admit this example was from the 90s, however corruption still runs rampant.) In Soviet Russia, law breaks you! Turns out, also in post-Soviet Russia. I wish this had come out two years later so the alleged collusion of Putin and Trump could have been addressed. Although not meant to be totally comprehensive, I liked this as a springboard to further study of modern Russia.
Interesting look into the political and socioeconomic climate in the region/city of Chelyabinsk which is located about a thousand miles from Moscow. Through the stories of various people that the author interviewed we get a glimpse of life in Middle Russia and the challenges of living in a nation where corruption and bribes are rampant and personal freedoms are limited.
I know so little about Russia. I wanted a crash course, and for some reason I decided that I needed to understand the USSR first and chose to read "The Last Days of Stalin" before reading this book. It's entirely possible that some of my appreciation for this book has more to do with how disappointing that other book was.
Anyway, this book had a bit of a 'this american life' feel to it (who's shocked? No one's shocked), and as such it was riveting in a way that usually only fiction can be. It was also very informative on the psychology of modern Russia and on the historical circumstances that have led to that psychology.
I really wouldn't have minded if this book was twice as long.
Anyway, this book had a bit of a 'this american life' feel to it (who's shocked? No one's shocked), and as such it was riveting in a way that usually only fiction can be. It was also very informative on the psychology of modern Russia and on the historical circumstances that have led to that psychology.
I really wouldn't have minded if this book was twice as long.