The Man Without a Face the Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin. Masha Gessen
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- Author：Masha Gessen
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Summary
A chilling and unflinching portrait of one of the most fearsome figures in world politics。
In 1999， the "Family" surrounding Boris Yeltsin went looking for a successor to the ailing and increasingly unpopular president。 Vladimir Putin， with very little governmental or administrative experience--he'd been deputy mayor of St。 Petersburg， and briefly， director of the secret police--nevertheless seemed the perfect choice: a "faceless" creature whom Yeltsin and his cronies could mold in their own image。 Russia and an infatuated West were determined to see in him the progressive leader of their dreams--even as Putin， with ruthless efficiency， dismantled the country's media， wrested control and wealth from the business class， and destroyed the fragile mechanisms of democracy。 Within a few brief years， virtually every obstacle to his unbridled control was removed and every opposing voice silenced， with political rivals and critics driven into exile or to the grave。
Masha Gessen has experienced and reported this history firsthand， and brings it up to its present moment of unrest and uncertainty。 Her spellbinding account of Putin's rise and reign will stand as a classic of narrative nonfiction。
In 1999， the "Family" surrounding Boris Yeltsin went looking for a successor to the ailing and increasingly unpopular president。 Vladimir Putin， with very little governmental or administrative experience--he'd been deputy mayor of St。 Petersburg， and briefly， director of the secret police--nevertheless seemed the perfect choice: a "faceless" creature whom Yeltsin and his cronies could mold in their own image。 Russia and an infatuated West were determined to see in him the progressive leader of their dreams--even as Putin， with ruthless efficiency， dismantled the country's media， wrested control and wealth from the business class， and destroyed the fragile mechanisms of democracy。 Within a few brief years， virtually every obstacle to his unbridled control was removed and every opposing voice silenced， with political rivals and critics driven into exile or to the grave。
Masha Gessen has experienced and reported this history firsthand， and brings it up to its present moment of unrest and uncertainty。 Her spellbinding account of Putin's rise and reign will stand as a classic of narrative nonfiction。
Reviews
Andrew Roberts
，
The fundamental argument here is that Putin has transformed Russia back into the USSR， and I think that’s clearly wrong。 Even so， this is an extremely well-reported and eloquent little book。 Not quite as good as the follow up， but a good book nonetheless。
Renee Seinfeld
，
Wow。 Just…wow。 A dangerous， vengeful and monstrous man。
Benjamin
，
Although much of the book is about Putin， the book is really the intra-governmental half of the story of the strangling of nascent Russian modernization and liberalism around Putin， with the outside half so beautifully described in "The Future is History" 4 years later （2017）。 It's a good book， it tells a consistent story， it has all the qualities of Gessen's research and writing， but it is not nearly as good a book as "The Future is History"， which is really one of the best accounts of of a cou Although much of the book is about Putin， the book is really the intra-governmental half of the story of the strangling of nascent Russian modernization and liberalism around Putin， with the outside half so beautifully described in "The Future is History" 4 years later （2017）。 It's a good book， it tells a consistent story， it has all the qualities of Gessen's research and writing， but it is not nearly as good a book as "The Future is History"， which is really one of the best accounts of of a country over a decade I've ever read。 If you've read that work and liked it， you'll like this one。 If you haven't read either， read the other book first; it tells you no less about Putin， but so much more about so many things。 。。。more
Alexander
，
Over the past couple of weeks， as tensions rise in Eastern Europe， I’ve taken to reading a book concerning Vladimir Putin and his background。 This was both out of curiosity once more of the Russian political system many consider a plutocracy， as well as to better prepare my understanding of what might have led to today as an underlying cause， and where it might take us。 This was my second such book in the past few months， having ready Angus Roxburgh’s The Strongman back in October 2021。 Converse Over the past couple of weeks， as tensions rise in Eastern Europe， I’ve taken to reading a book concerning Vladimir Putin and his background。 This was both out of curiosity once more of the Russian political system many consider a plutocracy， as well as to better prepare my understanding of what might have led to today as an underlying cause， and where it might take us。 This was my second such book in the past few months， having ready Angus Roxburgh’s The Strongman back in October 2021。 Conversely， in The Man Without a Face， Masha Gessen presents the information in a different light， albeit the historical facts themselves remain the same。 Beginning with the known background of Vladimir Putin prior to his assumption of the office of president （in an acting manner） at the turn of the millennium， Gessen is thorough in her presentation of the facts leading to certain characteristics Putin seems to exhibit even today。 Speaking to his upbringing as a KGB officer， the author underlines that， in the mid1970s， when Putin joined the KGB， the organization was undergoing a phase of extreme bloating。 Its number of directorates kept growing， and it maintained no clear purpose as only the Central Committee had the right to think in broad political categories， dictating strategy or overall direction for the USSR。 Accordingly， the KGB was relegated to collecting primary information and carrying out decisions made by other bodies。 The institution therefore rested its ideology on a siege mentality， driven by the Stalin era， in a constant thought process that it had to undertake manhunts or campaigns as if it were constantly under attack。 Consequently， one could therefore make sense of the consistent efforts made by the Russian federation to depict others as adversaries， in perhaps a potential attempt to maintain a spark of that “siege mentality” that so effectively keeps potential internal actors in check。 Moving into the current president’s various tenures at the helm of the nation， Gessen then looks at the various events that have defined the past two decades of Russian history， specifically the rise in domestic terrorist actions， the establishment of vertical power structures， and the vacuum created within the media that has all but ensured state-controlled media in Russia moving forward。 The author actually uses the word pleonexia to describe Vladimir Putin’s approach， defined as the “insatiable desire to have what rightfully belongs to others”。 Consequently， it is through shrewd political manoeuvres and seizure of a vast cultural change in Russia that the current administration has been able to maintain some sort of balance between a shrinking economy yet solid approval ratings。 Relating to today， Anne Applebaum， author of many books on this area of the world such as Red Famine and The Twilight of Democracy， recently alluded in The Atlantic to the fact that the current power structure Putin has achieved， as described by Gessen in the book， might be what is allowing for a total disregard of diplomacy on the Russians’ part， considering their own riches and power remains at the hands of the power structures they have themselves established domestically， and not on the approval of foreign nations or actors any longer。 Overall， the book was a decent read， providing insight once again into the last few decades that have led us to the current state of affairs between Russia and Western society。 This being said， the book was unquestionably steeped in bias against and disdain for the current administration and its leader。 Gessen often makes an effort to link events directly to Putin that， although sometimes potentially realistic， more often than not， come to be a stretch at most。 I can understand such bias in many regards considering the author’s history with Vladimir Putin， but it hinders the reader’s ability to draw their own conclusions based on specific presented facts。 Nevertheless， this book does a commendable job at setting the scene for the current situation， as well as offering ideas on how events might potentially unfold in the next few weeks & months。 I would recommend it for readers interested in recent Russian history and to better understand Vladimir Putin’s relationship with the media & industry within Russia， but only after having read previous material as to not pollute the already established facts of how things occurred。 Happy Reading！ 。。。more
Lianne
，
A secondhand copy of this book came my way while I was traveling。 I am closely tracking the threat of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia。 I have always admired Masha Gessen's savvy understanding of recent Russia because she lived through and covered the transition from Gorbachov's glasnost era， through the rise of the democratic movement and the chaos of the Yeltsin presidency。 Who was Vladimir Putin and how did he become the autocratic leader trying to rebuild the old Soviet Empire？ From extensi A secondhand copy of this book came my way while I was traveling。 I am closely tracking the threat of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia。 I have always admired Masha Gessen's savvy understanding of recent Russia because she lived through and covered the transition from Gorbachov's glasnost era， through the rise of the democratic movement and the chaos of the Yeltsin presidency。 Who was Vladimir Putin and how did he become the autocratic leader trying to rebuild the old Soviet Empire？ From extensive knowledge and contacts with the political players of those years， Gessen fills in the background of what can be learned about the truth （and myth） of Putin's childhood。 Although this biography was published in 2012， Putin's origin story is still vey relevant。 The main things to know about him is that his parents survived the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis and his father was wounded as the Russian army fought the retreat。 Leningrad， in spite of its beautiful architecture， became the most violent of the cities in post Soviet Russia。 Putin grew up as a courtyard street child， learning to defend himself at any provocation and to give no quarter to anyone who threatened him。 He called himself a thug when he campaigned for political office and said this with pride。 Such talk appealed to that part of the Russian population who always have preferred a strong man as a leader。 Putin consciously chose to join the KGB， the one institution that kept its power through the transition。 He learned how to be invisible and yet to operate in plain sight。 He also was "always playing chess while others were only thinking of playing checkers。" He learned to use his unemotional icy personna as a weapon。 Also， he was the best kleptocrat at grabbing assets of the state even during the time when Yeltsin still had power。 Others thought him incorruptible and when all the old systems were broken he emerged as the best choice for the face of Russia。 There is so much that can be written about Putin as an update to that first decade of post Soviet Russia。 But it may be too dangerous to write about until Putin dies， and like Stalin， will be exposed for the brutal tyrant and megalomaniac he now has proven to be。 。。。more
Karl Bolter
，
Anyone interested in a brief synopsis of Putin the man and his corrupt tendencies needs to read this book。 I would have given this five stars but the Epilogue and Afterward were an unnecessary extension of a narrative that ended in the final chapter。
David
，
The book was pretty good but I prefer The New Tsar in terms of comprehensiveness and firm content。 I did not understand the reviews complaining about the authors speculation without evidence。 Under the circumstances， what evidence could they uncover which would definitively prove their crimes？ She will often dismiss claims or state it impossible to say or that it’s unclear。 With that， she does seem to go down some rabbit holes which do not add up such as the KGB ties and speculation about what P The book was pretty good but I prefer The New Tsar in terms of comprehensiveness and firm content。 I did not understand the reviews complaining about the authors speculation without evidence。 Under the circumstances， what evidence could they uncover which would definitively prove their crimes？ She will often dismiss claims or state it impossible to say or that it’s unclear。 With that， she does seem to go down some rabbit holes which do not add up such as the KGB ties and speculation about what Putin did from ~1991 until his election。 Also， she does not do a good enough job of covering the chaos and complete disintegration of life in Russia during the 1990s。 I think it is important to not only cover the illegal activities but what led the Russian people to chose Putin but also how bad things were。 Not that Putin is innocent or blameless but that there were many bad actors during this period。 I think it is a mostly to read a clear cut path and plan into events as most of the time the actors are reacting to events as they go along doing the best they can。 。。。more
L。D。
，
The Man Without a Face is a chilling portrait of Vladimir Putin and the future of Russia。 Starting with the fall of the USSR， Gessen gives a first person's account of the tumultuous years that followed and Putin's rise to power。 The Man Without a Face is a chilling portrait of Vladimir Putin and the future of Russia。 Starting with the fall of the USSR， Gessen gives a first person's account of the tumultuous years that followed and Putin's rise to power。 。。。more
Vel Veeter
，
I obviously should have read this book before I read Masha Gessen's other book The Future is History， as that one ends up being a kind of sequel to this one， but alas。 Having also read Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom also acts as a kind of accidental primer for this one， but in reverse。 This book catalogues the rise of Putin， after first detailing the general history of Russian democratic politics of the 1990s。 Putin was more or less installed in 2000 with the retirement and soon thereaft I obviously should have read this book before I read Masha Gessen's other book The Future is History， as that one ends up being a kind of sequel to this one， but alas。 Having also read Timothy Snyder's The Road to Unfreedom also acts as a kind of accidental primer for this one， but in reverse。 This book catalogues the rise of Putin， after first detailing the general history of Russian democratic politics of the 1990s。 Putin was more or less installed in 2000 with the retirement and soon thereafter death of Boris Yeltsyn。 Putin had styled himself as a lawful state bureaucrat who could be trusted to shepherd the Russian government in the time of great transition。 Some five or so years later， his personal wealth completely appropriated either from state means or through state means from private citizens would be somewhere around 40 billion estimated， and he would already have foreseen the highly public extrajudicial deaths of terrorists holding Russian citizens hostages， often with many or most of the hostages as well。 Like many authoritarians， the seeds of his own downfall seem present at the beginning and facing democratic disaster at the end of the book， he seems poised to fall soon。 That was in 2010， but a 2012 update， and of course the subsequent 10 years after， have proven that this was a too hasty prediction based on decent analysis， but not knowing yet the ways in which Putin would weaponize anti-LGBTQ propagranda and border wars to cement his power， as well as his beomcing an international player in election disruption in the US， UK， and Europe。 This book is written with a passionate intensity and a glimmer of hope， which is considerably crushed by the end and by the present tense。 。。。more
Susan Miller
，
This is a must-read book to understand the personality and governing philosophy of Vladimir Putin。 The book is authored by a journalist living in Russia and witness to the changes of the last 40 years to the USSR/Russian political environment。 An understanding of Russian history and a passing knowledge of current Russian political moves， both within and outside of Russia， is helpful but not required。 The book is well written and easy to follow （even with all the Russian names。） Recommended to an This is a must-read book to understand the personality and governing philosophy of Vladimir Putin。 The book is authored by a journalist living in Russia and witness to the changes of the last 40 years to the USSR/Russian political environment。 An understanding of Russian history and a passing knowledge of current Russian political moves， both within and outside of Russia， is helpful but not required。 The book is well written and easy to follow （even with all the Russian names。） Recommended to anyone who is interested in how an authoritarian country can move to a more democratic society and back again to an authoritarian run government and how this may or may not parallel what is happening in some countries in the "West"。I purchased this book used to help save the environment。 。。。more
Sean O'Suilleabhain
，
Superb， brilliantly researched， totally absorbing。 A must-read。
Kara
，
（3。5）
Colleen
，
Meh。 Detailed but dull。
Markus
，
Interesting insight into Putin's somewhat surprisingly boring past as a KGB agent。 As the title suggests， chronicles his rise to power， Gessen's personal insights and experiences provide an interesting Russian insider's perspective。 Interesting insight into Putin's somewhat surprisingly boring past as a KGB agent。 As the title suggests， chronicles his rise to power， Gessen's personal insights and experiences provide an interesting Russian insider's perspective。 。。。more
Zosia
，
This book grew on me！ I realized this when I was bought a car this weekend & was talking to the car guys about Putin。 When I chat up strangers about the book I’m reading， that’s when I know it’s had an impact。 I learned so much！ But not about Putin because he’s impossible to know。 He’s like an earthquake - you only know him by the destruction in his wake。 I wish this had been better edited and not so scattered but I don’t know if the effect would’ve been any different。 Also， there were like 4 po This book grew on me！ I realized this when I was bought a car this weekend & was talking to the car guys about Putin。 When I chat up strangers about the book I’m reading， that’s when I know it’s had an impact。 I learned so much！ But not about Putin because he’s impossible to know。 He’s like an earthquake - you only know him by the destruction in his wake。 I wish this had been better edited and not so scattered but I don’t know if the effect would’ve been any different。 Also， there were like 4 post-scripts， but this is the kind of thing that needs 4 post-scripts （one of them so unnerving that I held my breath reading）。 。。。more
Nick Heim
，
Great and insightful book about the fragility of democracy。
Annie
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 i went into this book knowing masha gessen’s work from the western media and from reading “the future is history” last year。 i wanted to know who vladimir putin is， what he believes in， what motivates him。 the answers are not clear to me， even after reading this entire book。 until putin figured out how to create a politics of culture war using queer people as his bait， that is。 i can’t stop thinking about the point gessen raised about how evangelical american christians are being used to sell pr i went into this book knowing masha gessen’s work from the western media and from reading “the future is history” last year。 i wanted to know who vladimir putin is， what he believes in， what motivates him。 the answers are not clear to me， even after reading this entire book。 until putin figured out how to create a politics of culture war using queer people as his bait， that is。 i can’t stop thinking about the point gessen raised about how evangelical american christians are being used to sell propaganda to russians because they feel “marginalized” （lol） in the west。 gessen also made the point that the obama administration’s view of putin was completely wrong and connected the rise in anti-queer sentiment and legislation from certain middle eastern， african， and latin american cultures is now occurring lockstep with russia as a new global bloc of reactionary， right wing， homophobic thinking。 and if that’s true and that’s the russia putin imagines for the future， we’re in big trouble。 。。。more
Emil Nybro Berg
，
Great book， so great infact that it deserves my first ever book review on Goodreads。Seemingly very accurate and nuanced an analysis of an extremely discreet man。 Mostly because no one really knows who does what， and everyone seems afraid of the man on top。
Scott
，
Gessen is an excellent writer - and a great storyteller （I listened， rather read this book）。 It is part personal story in the age of Putin and part documentation of this horrid man’s rise to to lead Russia。 In a way what it shows is how an idiot can rise to lead an idiot nation。 Having read hundreds of books on Russian history， I am comfortable saying that this is a country that at every fork in the road for 1000 years has made the wrong decision。 Some would say that the US has also done this， b Gessen is an excellent writer - and a great storyteller （I listened， rather read this book）。 It is part personal story in the age of Putin and part documentation of this horrid man’s rise to to lead Russia。 In a way what it shows is how an idiot can rise to lead an idiot nation。 Having read hundreds of books on Russian history， I am comfortable saying that this is a country that at every fork in the road for 1000 years has made the wrong decision。 Some would say that the US has also done this， but the difference is， as Churchill was supposed to have said “America always makes the correct decision…。after trying every possible alternative。。” 。。。more
Annie
，
3。8
Aaron Warren
，
I knew literally nothing about Putin， so this was a very interesting read， and I can see why man people think he is as the writer describes him a "Thug" definitely not a nice dude I knew literally nothing about Putin， so this was a very interesting read， and I can see why man people think he is as the writer describes him a "Thug" definitely not a nice dude 。。。more
Eli
，
A must-read if you want to understand what is going on in today's Russia， why and how Russian people ended up with that heinous dictatorship which swallowed up all their human rights and fundamental freedoms。 In light of recent events it is particularly prophetic and eye-opening。 And after the legislative election in September 2021 it has became abundantly clear that the ruling authorities will stop at nothing to keep power。 A must-read if you want to understand what is going on in today's Russia， why and how Russian people ended up with that heinous dictatorship which swallowed up all their human rights and fundamental freedoms。 In light of recent events it is particularly prophetic and eye-opening。 And after the legislative election in September 2021 it has became abundantly clear that the ruling authorities will stop at nothing to keep power。 。。。more
Jason R
，
detailed and extensive reporting on Vlad that was a great read。 Struggled to follow the story in places but I think that was part of the point: that it was unexpected and haphazard。 paints a bleak picture of Russian leadership。
Chris Keefe
，
Other reviewers are not wrong to criticize this book for bias and speculation， but I'll go to bat for it anyway。 I have very little mileage in contemporary Russian history and politics， and Gessen's writing provides a lot of history in a very readable format， and a useful lens for viewing recent events as a connected narrative。 It's a deeply-researched and very approachable introduction to a slice of world politics most Americans only encounter in sound bites。I'd love to read an independent coun Other reviewers are not wrong to criticize this book for bias and speculation， but I'll go to bat for it anyway。 I have very little mileage in contemporary Russian history and politics， and Gessen's writing provides a lot of history in a very readable format， and a useful lens for viewing recent events as a connected narrative。 It's a deeply-researched and very approachable introduction to a slice of world politics most Americans only encounter in sound bites。I'd love to read an independent counterpoint to this book - it's hard for me not to ascribe ill intent to any politician so invested in the dissolution of democratic structures of governance， but I'd be willing to check my bias at the door if anyone has recommendations。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
A scary look into the policies and politics of a mad titan。
Judith
，
Quite a find。 I had only a sketchy idea of what happened after the soviet union dissolved。 I knew that a lot of people took advantage and corruption reigned big time， so a few got very rich while the majority were on the verge of starvation。 This book fills in some of those blanks and explains how Putin rose to the top。If it hadn't been for the breaking apart of the USSR， it is likely that Putin would never have gotten far。 He was a longtime KGB operator， familiar with the structure and the way Quite a find。 I had only a sketchy idea of what happened after the soviet union dissolved。 I knew that a lot of people took advantage and corruption reigned big time， so a few got very rich while the majority were on the verge of starvation。 This book fills in some of those blanks and explains how Putin rose to the top。If it hadn't been for the breaking apart of the USSR， it is likely that Putin would never have gotten far。 He was a longtime KGB operator， familiar with the structure and the way the organization worked。 Not especially intelligent， he was nonetheless savvy and gave the impression that he was a solid company man。 He could be counted upon to do as told。 Thus entrepreneur and government official Boris Berezovsky， priding himself on his role as kingmaker， picked Putin to lead the country in a new direction。Putin positioned himself as a new kind of leader for Russia。 He espoused democratic ideals， he was young and fit， and he sold his country a bill of goods。 He loved Russia， but watchers soon realized that he equated Russia with himself。 What's good for Vladimir Putin is good for the country。From the start he was popular， not only with the Russian people， but with leaders in the West。 Distracted by other non-Russian concerns， U。S。 media and politicians expressed delight in the turn Russia had taken。 It took years for them to catch on to what was really happening。Little by little， Putin was bringing back almost all of the worst aspects of the Soviet Union。 He became a master of corruption， essentially stealing food from his own people。 He clamped down on rights and freedoms， making it harder for people to protest and to learn about what was happening。 He shut down anyone who got in his way， using classic KGB tactics。Over time， Putin transformed the laws to suit himself and his friends， although he didn't have many friends。The book was published in 2011 and a postscript was added in 2014， so we are seven years further into Putin's self-serving government， and at least now the rest of the world has a clue what he's up to。I found the book valuable for explaining how the USSR dissolved， how some order was brought out of the resulting chaos， and how the country is now one of the most corrupt in the world。 The international group Transparency International ranks countries by how corrupt they are。 In 2003 they ranked Russia at 64% more corrupt than others。 By 2010 it ranked 86%。 It all can be laid at the feet of one man: Putin。Transparency Internation defines corruption as the "intentional misuse of public resources for personal gain"。In addition to raiding the treasury， Putin has raised bigotry to an art form， going backwards by several decades。The book contains an index and bibliography for those who wish to explore each topic further。The author has dual citizenship in Russia and the United States。 They （Gessen is non-binary， preferring they/them pronouns） were born in Moscow and currently reside in the U。S。 as Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
This is the first book I ever read that covered politics and I must say it was a very interesting read。 It was written in a way that made it easy to understand what was happening and what the situation was in Russia。 The hardest part of reading this book was keeping all the players straight since they all have similar names。
Sharon Luoma Jones
，
Russia fascinates me- I lived in Cherepovets， Russia in 1997-1998 and taught conversational English。 I loved my time in Russia， my students， and friends。 I gave one of my children a Russian name。 I am drawn to Russian food and culture。 When I left， Russia in June of 1998， Putin was jus appointed as head of the FSB， people at the time were excited to have change。 I was not very politically minded back then， but over the years I grew to see Putin for who he is， a bully dictator set to hold onto co Russia fascinates me- I lived in Cherepovets， Russia in 1997-1998 and taught conversational English。 I loved my time in Russia， my students， and friends。 I gave one of my children a Russian name。 I am drawn to Russian food and culture。 When I left， Russia in June of 1998， Putin was jus appointed as head of the FSB， people at the time were excited to have change。 I was not very politically minded back then， but over the years I grew to see Putin for who he is， a bully dictator set to hold onto control of power in Russia， for his own financial gain。 My family lived in Moldova during Russia’s takeover of Crimea and many Moldovan’s were worried they were next。 Russia still has control over their gas and Russia seems to enjoy hiking their prices up in the winter。 This book gives clear evidence that there is nothing good about Putin。 Putin cares only for himself。 。。。more
Will Norton
，
Definitely an eye opener on the current Russian government。 It describes the unlikely rise of Vladimir Putin and his reign。 More specifically， I liked the insight into the turn of the USSR into the Russian Federation and the free speech movement that preceded it。 Putin， it must be remembered， is still a somewhat popular figure in Russia。 The so called "democracy" leaders Yeltsin and Gorbachev are not universally liked in the current Russian sentiment。 Yeltsin is largely considered the cause of t Definitely an eye opener on the current Russian government。 It describes the unlikely rise of Vladimir Putin and his reign。 More specifically， I liked the insight into the turn of the USSR into the Russian Federation and the free speech movement that preceded it。 Putin， it must be remembered， is still a somewhat popular figure in Russia。 The so called "democracy" leaders Yeltsin and Gorbachev are not universally liked in the current Russian sentiment。 Yeltsin is largely considered the cause of the loss of providence in Russia following the downfall of Communism。 The same nostalgia for a country that never was is also the reason for the dislike of Gorbachev。 Still， the highlight of this book is the price of that slip back into authoritarianism。 It has been a common theme globally and the lengths of suppression is a growing problem in Russia even as there has been somewhat of a recovery in national spirit under Putin's rule。 The book highlights the difficulty of dissent in such a state and the price that is paid for stability。 。。。more
Anushka
，