Author: Derek OffordPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Russian language
Languages : en
Pages : 461
Book Description
Author: Nicholas RzhevskyNight Roads
Author: Гаито ГаздановPublisher: Northwestern University Press
ISBN: 0810125587
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
Drawing together episodes of rich atmosphere, this novel is as deep and brooding as the Paris nights that serve as its backdrop. Russian writer Gaito Gazdanov arrived in Paris, as so many did, between the wars and would go on, with this fourth novel, to give readers a crisp rendering of a living city changing beneath its people’s feet. Night Roads is loosely based on the author’s experiences as a cab driver in those disorienting, often brutal years, and the narrator moves from episode to episode, holding court with many but sharing his mind with only a few. His companions are drawn straight out of the Parisian past: the legendary courtesan Jeanne Raldi, now in her later days, and an alcoholic philosopher who goes by the name of Plato. Along the way, the driver picks up other characters, such as the dull thinker who takes on the question of the meaning of life only to be driven insane. The dark humor of that young man’s failure against the narrator’s authentic, personal explorations of the same subject is captured in this first English translation. With his trademark émigré eye, Gazdanov pairs humor with cruelty, sharpening the bite of both.
The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016
Author: Mark GaleottiPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472819101
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 68
Book Description
A full and authoritative illustrated history of Russia's army since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, including Air Assault and Navy ground forces. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's army has undergone a turbulent transformation, from the scattered left-overs of the old Soviet military, through a period of shocking decay and demoralization, to the disciplined force and sophisticated 'hybrid war' doctrine that enabled Vladimir Putin to seize Crimea virtually overnight in 2014. Using rare photographs and full colour images of the army in action, profiles of army leaders and defence ministers, as well as orders of battle and details of their equipment and dress, this is a vivid account of the army's troubled history and of its character, capabilities and status. Written by an internationally respected author with remarkable access to Russian-language sources and Russian veterans, this study is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the growing power of Russia's military.
Author: Clayton Leroy DawsonCollapse of an Empire
Author: Yegor GaidarPublisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0815731159
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
"My goal is to show the reader that the Soviet political and economic system was unstable by its very nature. It was just a question of when and how it would collapse...." —From the Introduction to Collapse of an Empire The Soviet Union was an empire in many senses of the word—a vast mix of far-flung regions and accidental citizens by way of conquest or annexation. Typical of such empires, it was built on shaky foundations. That instability made its demise inevitable, asserts Yegor Gaidar, former prime minister of Russia and architect of the "shock therapy" economic reforms of the 1990s. Yet a growing desire to return to the glory days of empire is pushing today's Russia backward into many of the same traps that made the Soviet Union untenable. In this important new book, Gaidar clearly illustrates why Russian nostalgia for empire is dangerous and ill-fated: "Dreams of returning to another era are illusory. Attempts to do so will lead to defeat." Gaidar uses world history, the Soviet experience, and economic analysis to demonstrate why swimming against this tide of history would be a huge mistake. The USSR sowed the seeds of its own economic destruction, and Gaidar worries that Russia is repeating some of those mistakes. Once again, for example, the nation is putting too many eggs into one basket, leaving the nation vulnerable to fluctuations in the energy market. The Soviets had used revenues from energy sales to prop up struggling sectors such as agriculture, which was so thoroughly ravaged by hyperindustrialization that the Soviet Union became a net importer of food. When oil prices dropped in the 1980s, that revenue stream diminished, and dependent sectors suffered heavily. Although strategies requiring austerity or sacrifice can be politically difficult, Russia needs to prepare for such downturns and restrain spending during prosperous times. Collapse of an Empire shows why it is imperative to fix the roof before it starts to rain, and why so
National Bolshevism
Author: David BrandenbergerPublisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674009066
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
During the 1930s, Stalin and his entourage rehabilitated famous names from the Russian national past in a propaganda campaign designed to mobilize Soviet society for the coming war. In a provocative study, David Brandenberger traces this populist "national Bolshevism" into the 1950s, highlighting the catalytic effect that it had on Russian national identity formation.
Moscow in Movement
Author: Samuel A. GreenePublisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804792445
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 291
Book Description
Moscow in Movement is the first exhaustive study of social movements, protest, and the state-society relationship in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Beginning in 2005 and running through the summer of 2013, the book traces the evolution of the relationship between citizens and their state through a series of in-depth case studies, explaining how Russians mobilized to defend human and civil rights, the environment, and individual and group interests: a process that culminated in the dramatic election protests of 2011–2012 and their aftermath. To understand where this surprising mobilization came from, and what it might mean for Russia's political future, the author looks beyond blanket arguments about the impact of low levels of trust, the weight of the Soviet legacy, or authoritarian repression, and finds an active and boisterous citizenry that nevertheless struggles to gain traction against a ruling elite that would prefer to ignore them. On a broader level, the core argument of this volume is that political elites, by structuring the political arena, exert a decisive influence on the patterns of collective behavior that make up civil society—and the author seeks to test this theory by applying it to observable facts in historical and comparative perspective. Moscow in Movement will be of interest to anyone looking for a bottom-up, citizens' eye view of recent Russian history, and especially to scholars and students of contemporary Russian politics and society, comparative politics, and sociology.
Modern Russian Grammar
Author: John DunnPublisher: Routledge
ISBN: 113410006X
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 777
Book Description
Modern Russian Grammar: A Practical Guide is an innovative reference guide to Russian, combining traditional and function-based grammar in a single volume. The Grammar is divided into two parts. Part A covers traditional grammatical categories such as agreement, nouns, verbs and adjectives. Part B is carefully organized around language functions covering all major communication situations. With a strong emphasis on contemporary usage, all grammar points and functions are richly illustrated with examples. Main features of the Grammar include: clear explanations emphasis on areas of particular difficulty for learners of Russian, such as numerals and verbs of motion extensive cross-referencing between the different sections. This is the ideal reference grammar for learners of Russian at all levels, from beginner to advanced. No prior knowledge of grammatical terminology is assumed and a glossary of grammatical terms is provided.
Modern Russian History
Author: Mauricio BorreroPublisher:
ISBN: 9781516502721
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
Modern Russian History: The Search for National Identity and Global Power exposes readers to the rich history of Russia, emphasizing the major forces and factors that shaped its development as a nation and an empire. Students are encouraged to draw connections between influential forces and factors, both historical and contemporary, to better understand Russia's past and current strategic goals, as well as the Russian sense of identity and place in global society. The opening chapter introduces key themes and factors of Russian history, including the physical setting; the role of the autocratic state; the institution of serfdom; the multinational empire; and the West, each of which represent challenges and opportunities the Russian people and the nation's rulers have encountered over time. The book features five distinct parts, which proceed in chronological order and cover late imperial Russia, the 1917 Russian revolutions, the creation of the USSR, the Cold War and tensions with the United States, and post-Soviet Russia and modern events. Modern Russian History is part of the Cognella History of Europe Series, a collection of textbooks that help students discover the power, influence, and dynamic nature of European countries and their histories. Roxanne Easley is a professor of history at Central Washington University. She holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Russian history from the University of Oregon. Mark Davis Kuss is a professor of history and political science at the University of Holy Cross. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Louisiana State University, J.D. from the Tulane University School of Law, and M.A. in history from the University of New Orleans. Thomas Pearson is a professor of history at Monmouth University. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Russian history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
