Product Description

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 destre 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1063884 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 298 pages

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended!
Author Lilia Shevtsova gives an authoritative, if undramatic and less than perfectly organized, account of the rise of Vladimir Putin. Boris Yeltsin chose the anonymous, quiet former KGB colonel for one of the world's most powerful jobs, in part because of his loyalty. Putin's clear-eyed pragmatism and his visceral support of George W. Bush's war on terrorism have given Russia otherwise unattainable international significance. Now, will Putin use his power to reform Russia's political institutions and strengthen its framework of democratic governance? This quite readable book goes beyond the headlines and indicates that Russia is still a land of intrigue and mystery, where the only certainty is that there is none. Under that circumstance, Shevtsova has done an admirable job of framing how Russia reached its current state and what historical choices now confront it. The future of Russia is far from set. We very highly recommend this book to those who seek a deeper understanding of one of America's staunchest allies in the war on terror.