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Former KGB spy Vladimir Putin, named Prime Minister of Russia in 1999 and, one year later, President, has been something of a media darling in the West, having successfully marketed himself as an enlightened leader with both feet planted firmly on the Eastern borders of Europe. Anti-establishment journalist and human-rights activist Anna Politkovskaya disagrees strenuously with this point of view. In her new book, she trains her steely gaze on, as she puts at, Putin 'without the rapture'. From her privileged vantage-point at the heart of Russian current affairs, Politkovskaya reports from behind the scenes, dismantling both Putin the man and Putin the brand name, arguing that he is a power-hungry product of his own history in the security forces and so unable to prevent himself from stifling dissent and other civil liberties at every turn. After centuries of living under tyrants, Politkovskaya argues, this is not what contemporary Russians want. The book is, however, not simply a biography or an analysis of Putin's presidency. Politkovskaya's writing is known for its humanity and its passion, and her focus is on individual human beings and their stories. As she puts it, 'my book is jottings made on the margins of life in Russia. For the time being, I cannot analyse that existence. I'm just living and noting what I see.' So her readers are treated to expos-s of mafia dealings and scandals in the provinces, of corruption in the military and the judiciary, of the decline of the dissident intelligentsia and concomitant rise of street traders, and of the truth behind the Moscow theatre siege. Other shocking stories fill out an intimate portrait of nascent civil institutions being subverted under the unquestioning eyes of the West.… (more)
User reviews
A final comment: at the very end, Politkovskaya talks about the rivalry between Putin and Chodorkovsky (of Yukos fame). In line with the rest of the book, she paints Chodorkovsky as an angel and Putin as the devil. As it happens I read a bit about this story not long ago, in other (Western) sources, and Chodorkovsky is not quite the incorruptible gentleman that Politkovskaya makes him out to be. It made me wonder what other stories in her book had received this extremely one-sided treatment.
I did, however, have to take Anna's hate of Putin with a grain of salt. When there
It is not an easy read for sure. Being raised in the Eastern Bloc, it all sounds surprisingly very familiar, but some stories still saddened and shocked me to the bone. Very sad indeed to read about this broken Post-Soviet system and mindset that in theory should be long gone and yet somehow lingers many years later with such tragic consequences to many.
This well written account and journalist investigation of what became of Russia after Putin’s rise to power can be recommended to anybody interested in politics, human rights activism and history.
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Omslagsbillede: Rex Features/All Over Press
Omslaget viser Vladimir Putin der ses inde i en bil
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Putin's Russia" af Jan Hansen
Efterskrift: Anna Politkovskaja
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947.086 |