Putin Country: A Journey Into the Real Russia

This book offers a revealing glimpse into the lives of ordinary Russians. Author and NPR correspondent Anne Garrels visited Chelyabinsk, an aging military-industrial center, over twenty years ago to study the social and political aftermath of the USSR’s collapse.

Despite the new democratic freedoms, the region faced severe economic hardship and a growing identity crisis. Corruption and intolerance worsened, while Chelyabinsk became richer and more cosmopolitan.

In this book, Garrels portrays the nation’s heartland, meeting upwardly mobile professionals, activists, and mafiosi. She reveals surprising subcultures, such as an underground gay community and evangelicals. Doctors and teachers struggle with a corrupt system. Drawing on these encounters, Garrels explains Putin’s popularity, even among those who criticize the abuses of power.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)