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A review by andrewrmart
The Invention of Russia: From Gorbachev's Freedom to Putin's War by Arkady Ostrovsky
4.0
“There was a time when patriotism did not translate into xenophobia, when pragmatism did not justify dishonor and when irony did not rule out love for your country... There was no one single event after the collapse of the Soviet Union that made Russia’s current condition inevitable — the Soviet Union expired not only because it ran out of money but also because it ran out of words... This book is not a history of Russian media, however; rather, it is the story of the country they have invented.”
A thorough and intriguing look at the role of media, words, and ideas as weapons in the late- and post-Soviet eras, even if you come to it with no working knowledge of Russian history (like me). Expect to leave having traced numerous politicians, media moguls, and “news” outlets over decades of pushback, social change, and reinvention. Now done, I am seeking complete biographical literature on Putin himself, whose 80-or-so-page coverage in this book is sure to inspire curiosity and contempt in readers.
A thorough and intriguing look at the role of media, words, and ideas as weapons in the late- and post-Soviet eras, even if you come to it with no working knowledge of Russian history (like me). Expect to leave having traced numerous politicians, media moguls, and “news” outlets over decades of pushback, social change, and reinvention. Now done, I am seeking complete biographical literature on Putin himself, whose 80-or-so-page coverage in this book is sure to inspire curiosity and contempt in readers.