The future is history

I was a Russian history major in college at a time when the Soviet Union was still in full swing. My studies stretched into the modern Soviet state. Gessen's very readable and accessible book was well crafted, went over themes in modern Russian history with which I was only lightly familiar, and brought me up to date in at least an impressionist way. Eternal Russia, whose people always tend to be as stalwart as their political system tends to be totalitarian. I look forward to reading The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin.

Through the lives of four of its citizens, Masha Gessen shows the reader the political morphing of modern Russia. The book begins with the fall of the Soviet Bloc, meanders through the country’s brief flirtation with a more liberal political system before finally falling into step with the totalitarian methods of its current leaders. This is more than a modern history lesson. Gessen makes good use of her characters allowing the reader to see how universalities such as personal relationships, employment, accommodation, personal liberties, and the availability of common commodities are affected as the structure of government changes. Through the lives of her four central characters, their families, friends, and associates, Gessen also examines the Russian psyche during the post-Soviet era, the use of disinformation and propaganda, corruption, and the legal system. This is not a book that I wished to finish quickly. I found greater satisfaction in reading a section and then spending a bit of time digesting and reflecting upon what I’d read. Overall, I quite enjoyed Gessen’s book as her real characters allow the reader to peer into a society which defines Kafkaesque. Not only did I find it illuminating, but the book also made me reflect upon the use of disinformation and propaganda (particularly in relation to social media) by not just Russia, but also western governments. If you are interested in the history and politics of Russia then I would consider reading The Future Is History.