Abstract

The enormously complex changes triggered by the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe were nowhere more ambiguous than in the heartland of the Soviet bloc, Russia itself. Here the population was divided on all the most fundamental questions of post-communist transition: economic reforms, the Communist Party, the borders of the state, even the definition of the Russian 'nation' itself. Russians also faced plummeting living standards and chronic uncertainty. In a matter of months, Russia was apparently demoted from 'evil empire' to despondent poor relation of the prosperous West. Yet the country also seemed alarmingly open to all manner of political outcomes. Russia deserves our attention now as much as ever, because it raises so many of the big questions about how societies operate in the modern world.
Stephen Lovell is the author of The Russian Reading Revolution: Print Culture in the Soviet and Post-Soviet Eras (2000) and the prize-winning Summerfolk: A History of the Dacha, 1710-2000 (2003). He has written widely on topics in Russian social and cultural history.
'Usually Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union is the purview of political scientists, but in this short, smart book Stephen Lovell gives us a history of the catastrophes and resurgences that Russians have experienced since 1989. His account is lively and informed and offers both students and specialists facts and insights that will guide them through the vicissitudes of post-socialism.’ Ronald Grigor Suny, University of Michigan 'I would recommend this book to all those who look for non-trivial approaches to understanding the modern world.' Lev Gudkov, Yuri Levada Analytical Center 'A short but acute study of the changes that have swept over the world’s largest country since 1989, and perhaps the best starting point to read about it that is now available in English.' Stephen White, University of Glasgow '....... striking stories about how ordinary Russians survived the disasters of the 1990s.' Pete Glatter, University of Wolverhampton 'Marked by a sharp eye for detail and intelligent observation...Lovell has a firm grasp of detail and understands the dynamics of Russian development.' Richard Sakwa, University of Kent