February 21, 2007

What exactly is going in on Russia? [WIGOR?]



Is a new Evil Empire brewing?
Are we on the verge of a New Cold War?
Who is pulling the levers of power in Russia?
What is the Kremlin engineering for a post-Putin Russia?


There are plenty of questions circulating in the media about Russia these days. But often too little of what is published takes a long-term, balanced and critical view.

Time for a reality check.


  1. Russia is not perched on the abyss of Totalitarianism

  2. The US and Russia are not about to start slinging ICBMs at one another

  3. Vladimir Putin is not the Wizard of Oz, pulling levers from behind a Kremlin curtain

  4. Russia does not seek to hold Europe hostage to gas or oil supplies



But none of this is to say that everything is fine and dandy in Rossiya-Matushka. Far from it.

Any country - particularly one the size and age of Russia - is a very complex place. It would be as unfair as it would be ridiculous to say that Russia is red or brown, good or bad, free or enslaved. It would also be cliche and relativistic to say "there are no easy answers," so I won't say that. Instead, I will say that there are no final answers, just some very interesting questions.

I will also say that Russia is not an incomprehensible Churchillian riddle. It is a country with a history, a people, a geography and a way of life. And, just like anything else, if you study it and if you pay attention, you can eventually understand it. Maybe not perfectly, but pretty damn well.

I have been studying and paying attention to Russia for over 25 years. I don't claim a line on the truth, just a general distaste for a lot of the Russia-bashing and Monday Morning Quarterbacking I have been reading over the past few weeks. Therefore, over the next few weeks, I will post a series of short essays about what I feel is going on in and with Russia. With luck, some people will find them interesting and even slightly useful.

I will start at the beginning. [PR]
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955