Russia From Red to Black

Russia experienced two traumatic revolutions during the 20th century; the first in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power and ushered in the era of the Soviet communist state. The second in 1991, saw the rapid dismantling of the Soviet empire, the demise of the communists as the dominating force in Russian politics and the installation of Boris Yeltsin as the first elected president of a reborn Russia. Twenty years on from Yeltsin's revolution, this book is a keenly observed, personal account of living and working in Russia during Yeltsin's presidency and the early Putin years. Informative and entertaining, it provides a fascinating insight into the social, economic and political life of the country and describes some of the challenges faced by ordinary Russians trying to survive the transition from the total control of communism to an unfamiliar, unbridled capitalist system. A broad mixture of events, some happy, others tragic or mysterious, sits alongside glimpses of the frustrations of day to day life across Russia at the time.