Putin’s Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy by Anna Politkovskaya

Politkovskaya’s book is important in the sense as it gives a voice to people that is not heard in other books about contemporary Russia. Especially the chapter “Tanya, Misha, Lena and Rinat - Where are they now?” where she looks up people that she used to know in the 70s, gives a remarkable description of personalities that anyone that gets to know Russian’s personally will be able to recognize.

A weekness of this approach is that it is difficult to recognize and appreciate theese personality-types without personally knowing ehough Russians to see what she is talking about. Unless you know Russians personaly it will also be difficult to experience and take in, how many simply will refuse to read, know and take in her story either becuase it is something they have decided to act as if theese things never happened - focusing on this is negative, or simply because they are very emotionally difficult to discuss. This attitude and feelings among ordinary Russians is in my view farmore important than the authorities attitudes towards her writing.

I agree with the other reviews that claim her writing is very emotional. This is a problem because it makes me suspicious of her writing, even when what she tells is probably compleately true. By being less emtional she would undoubtful come through as more trustworthy, that is especially important because we to a large degree only have her side of the stroy to hold on to. Though considerably more moderate than Litvinenko and Felshtinsky’s “Blowing up Russia”, I find myself having some of the same mixed emotions about some of the consparicy-like claims that come up in the book, where we only have whether we belive the author or not to hold on to. Though experience have learned me that few seemingly over-the-top fantastic rumours can be ruled out when it comes to Russian politics, I am still laved with mixed emotions.

Her personal aproach also leave the basic, structural facts that is important to understand contemporary Russia in the background. Gaidar has used the relevant comparison of Russia in the 90s with the last similary desperate economic situation in Germany in the 30s. About 15 years after the democrasy was established in Germany, Hitler came to power under similar economic conditions. Who ever Putin is, he is like a boy-scout in that perspective. Politkovaskaya fails to give the political and economical understanding to put things into perspective. As another review states, you will not find what progresses Russia has made under Putin in this book. It is not that critical though, as long one can get that perspective from other books. Polikovskaya gives an understanding of the people acting under this cicumstantions that I have seen no other books on contemporary Russia.

Especially Politkovskaya have written other books and articles on Chechnya, I think Chechnya has got too much coverage in the book, compared to other topics. It might be that she should have chosen a different title, instead of writing relatively less about Chechnya though. It is nothing wrong woth writing many books about Chechnya, it is just that the topic “Putin’s Russia” is considerably broader than that.

Another review claims you can not find Politkovskayas books in Russia. I can confirm that I have found them in English in ordinary book-stores and Russian friends confirms they have fond them too.

Do read this book. Make sure you fill out the picture with other books on the Putin era and the political and economical development in Post-USSR Russia though.

A Russian Diary by Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya’s “Russian Diary” is a gold mine of information and provides unparalleled insights into Putin’s Neo-Soviet Russia.

Many believe that Politkovskaya was murdered for her indepth investigative reporting into all aspects of Putin’s regime. In this book she makes it clear that Russia is rapidly sliding into a dark and deep abyss.

Politkovskaya reveals the rampant corruption prevalent in the Russian government and its total disregard for the Russian population, human rights, and basic democratic principles.

“Russian Diary” is a first-hand account of the growing power of Russia’s criminal community and its alliance with Vladimir Putin, the rampant greed and lawlessness of the new Russian business elite, the unbridled brutality of the Russian security services, and the gross incompetence of the Russian military.

Politkovskaya believed that Russia was headed for another major war in the Caucasus against the mountain peoples it has been terrorizing and murdering for the last decade.

This is a sad and depressing story that is all too familiar to those with firsthand knowledge of the Soviet Union and Russia.

A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya by Anna Politkovskaya, Georgi M. Derluguian, Alexander Burry, and Tatiana Tulchinsky

This review applies to Small Corner of Hell and Putin’s Russia. I read almost all of Anna’s books and reports for Novaya Gazeta. It always struck me how dedicated and fearless (sadly she paid the ultimate price) she was to helping regular civilians living in Chechnya, and not just Chechens but Russians too. Her critics acuse her of being pro-chechen, but she also did plenty of reporting about Russian families who got stuck in the basements of Grozny during Russian carpet bombing campaign and for whom nobody in Russia really cared. She also wrote about regular Russian soldiers who are basically used as modern day slaves (Russian army is not voluntary).

If you are a Western reader trying to understand the roots of this conflict, Politkovskaya’s books are probably a wrong choice. For that you have to read some history books addressing Russian history of the last 200 - 300 years. Start with Richard Pipes or something similar. Her books are reports of what’s going on there now. As such they are great examples of what the REAL journalism should be. They also serve as a good source on what’s really going on in Russia today. They would make a good foundation for a War Crimes Tribunal for both Russian and Chechen sides (or are they really just the same Gang), which hopefully will take place some day.

Finally, as others pointed out here the Publisher Weekly reviewer frankly does not know what he is talking about. He probably thinks Kim Jon Il is a legitimate ruler because 98% of North Koreans “vote” for him, too.

Putin’s Russia by Anna Politkovskaya

While presenting factual problems which beset today’s Russia, the book’s title is deliberately misleading. Politkovskaya, a controversial contributor to the leftist Novaya gazeta, would have the reader believe all the problems were brought about by current president Vladimir V. Putin. In fact, Putin inherited them from previous regimes. The appalling conditions within the military were already entrenched in the 80’s, during the Afghanistan War. And control over business by organized crime, mafiya, and oligarchy arose in the early 90’s. Corruption of government bureaucracy defined the Yeltsin era. Until recently, there had never been a Russian economic “middle-class.” Even the Chechen conflict, about which Politkovskaya has written extensively, began before Putin’s time and had devolved into terrorism and jihad several years before September 11, 2001. These are all issues which Putin’s administration has tackled, with varying degrees of capability or success. These are important topics of better books, most notably one sharing the same title, by Liliya Shevtsova. The latter is an associate of the respected, liberal Carnegie Endowment, and can hardly be accused of being a Putin apologist. But Politkovskaya has a political ax to grind, and it shows in her writing. This is, after all, the diva of the leftist press who aspires to being the “Russian Michael Moore.” Her unfavorable articles comparing Putin with George W. Bush (see: “Kovboy frendi” - “Cowboy Buddies”)have appeared in Novaya gazeta and leftist French publications. Her outspoken sympathy for the Chechen Islamist cause and association with rebel leaders earned her reputation as a “Russian Hanoi Jane.” Notorious as Russia’s leading radical journalist, her passion is undeniable. So a certain amount of political spin is to be expected. But true journalism comes down to trustworthiness, and that is where Politkovskaya fails. As with “Farenheit 9/11,” which she deemed an “excellent” model, “Putin’s Russia” is a perplexing mixture of real fact and obvious political agenda.

Biography - Politkovskaya, Anna (1958-2006): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online by Gale Reference Team

3 star only from 5.

Putin’s Labyrinth: Spies, Murder, and the Dark Heart of the New Russia by Steve Levine

This is a tremendous read for anybody with a general interest in Putin’s Russia, and stories of spies, deception, and assassination. LeVine is a truly gifted writer, and his style makes this book read like a thriller. The two most notorious recent assassinations, of Andrew Litvinenko and Anna Politkovskaya, are covered fairly in-depth. Russia is such an intriguing country, at least to me it is. My only complaint is that LeVine seems to have made a conscious effort to keep this book short (166 pages!). I’m not sure why, maybe his publishers thought a short one would be more likely to sell. He could have gone into much greater detail about Putin himself, and his governing style and connection to the KGB and FSB. But I can’t complain. A great quick read, and a real page turner.