Putin's Russia Book

On December 31, 1999, ailing political maverick Boris Yeltsin abruptly handed the country's leadership over to the virtually unknown former intelligence officer Vladimir Putin. The new Kremlin boss represented both continuity and change. While he was linked with the past, he also signified a sharp break from it. With Putin's ascent to power, Russian leadership and Russia have changed dramatically. A pragmatic manager, Putin has tamed the Russian elite and arrogant tycoons, pushed forward economic reforms previously stalled under Yeltsin, and instituted a pro-Western foreign policy. He has accomplished all of this while maintaining a 70 per cent approval rating. However, Russia's transformation under Putin remains a paradox. Outwardly he has proved his desire to modernize Russia, but he has also demonstrated a deep distrust of major democratic institutions and an open desire to keep tight control over the society. In this volume, Lilia Shevtsova examines how, under Putin, the country vacillates between optimism and anguish, hope and resentment. She studies the true nature of Putin's leadership and how far he is willing to go and capable of going with further transformation. Time will tell if he can combine his authoritarian ways with economic liberalism and pro-western policy to define the Russia of the 21st century.Read More