Cart is empty
Russia today is a country waiting for change, a country coming to the end of a political era of unprecedented stability and prosperity, but also of growing strains as new social problems, ideological apathy and urgent economic questions challenge the orthodox leadership of the elderly men in the Kremlin. Life in Russia looks at a society now having to tackle problems long familiar in the West: changes in traditional values and attitudes, low output and poor morale on the factory floor, a young generation interested mainly in jeans and pop music, woman's rising anger with their harsh lot, alcoholism, the flight from the villages, consumerism, local nationalism, soaring divorce rates and a sexual revolution that is at odds with puritanical public morality. The book looks also at a people who, despite the powerful influence of the West that has flooded with detente through once watertight borders, are turning back more and more to Russia traditions: to religion, as the Russian Orthodox Church draws the hearts of a spiritually hungry youth; to nature, as townspeople weary of the high-rise flats, pace and stresses of industrial society and look to their peasant roots; to superstition, as quack medicine, flying saucers and the occult exert a fascination that baffles Soviet science; to the arts, as an increasingly educated public discovers and replenishes the strengths of Russian theatre, ballet, art and literature. Life in Russia, based on the author's four and a half years as The Times correspondent in Moscow, does not dwell on the theory of communism, buy makes tell political points in anecdotes from everyday life-ranging from the tractor factory that never was and the rail network that stole its neighbour's locomotives, to the warmth of Russian hospitality, gathering mushrooms, a pop concert and Christmas in the ancient town of Suzdal. The book deals with the hardships and oppression in the world's most diverse country, but also with the vitality, aspirations, humour, emotions and outlook of a people for whom the author clearly developed an affection. Life in Russia provides an important background to understanding the problems facing the Sovient leadership. Hardback Ed with Dust jacket 1983
Book Genre:
Non-Fiction
No reviews found
Featured Products
Miss Gracie Taylors Pre Loved Books
Miss Gracie Taylors Pre Loved Books
Miss Gracie Taylors Pre Loved Books
Miss Gracie Taylors Pre Loved Books
