Andrei Kolesnikov

Not so long ago, Russia under Putin appeared to be a corrupt state run by an elite mainly interested in their own privileges and wealth: authoritarian but not fundamentally expansionist. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine made it clear that Putin is driven by far more than simply greed. Putin's Russia is, Andrei Kolesnikov argues, in the grip of intense ideological radicalisation, seeking to mobilise its population in support of a form of chauvinistic neo-imperialism using increasingly totalitarian methods. This march towards 'hybrid totalitarianism' is underpinned by a messianic view of Russia as a superior, 'spiritual' form of civilization-state underpinned by its Orthodox faith and hatred of Western 'decadence'. Based upon a falsified version of history and a profound hostility to modernisation, this ideology is making Russia an international pariah and condemning Russian citizens to endless war and economic stagnation. The only hope for redemption is a profound moral regeneration which redefines the nation's place in the world and embraces the spirit of democracy. This incisive analysis of the ideological dynamics of late Putinism, written by a leading Russian scholar and journalist, is an indispensable guide to understanding Russia's recent descent into war-mongering barbarism.

Idei konca istorii izdavna opisyvali osobennosti mirovogo istoricheskogo processa. Odnako vsjakij raz posle ocherednogo konca istorii, novogo vitka blagopoluchnoj globalizacii ili zolotyh let (desjatiletij) istorija nachinalas' zanovo, bud' to Pervaja mirovaja vojna, katastrofa 9/11, prishestvie Trampa, specoperacija Putina, da i v celom vozvrashhenie razrushitel'nyh i arhaichnyh ideologij. Inoj raz kazhetsja, chto nastupil katastroficheskij period postistorii. Tem ne menee strahovochnyj karkas civilizacii - universal'nye cennosti i demokraticheskie instituty - uderzhivaet mir ot poslednego shaga v propast' postistorii. I jeto porozhdaet nadezhdy na to, chto konec istorii v horoshem smysle eshhe nastupit.

Who is this Vladimir Putin? Who is this man who suddenly- overnight and without warning- was handed the reigns of power to one of the most complex, formidable, and volatile countries in the world? How can we trust him if we don't know him? First Person is an intimate, candid portrait of the man who holds the future of Russia in his grip. An extraordinary compilation of over 24 hours of in-depth interviews and remarkable photographs, it delves deep into Putin's KGB past and explores his meteoric rise to power. No Russian leader has ever subjected himself to this kind of public examination of his life and views. Both as a spy and as a virtual political unknown until selected by Boris Yeltsin to be Prime Minister, Putin has been regarded as man of mystery. Now, the curtain lifts to reveal a remarkable life of struggles and successes. Putin's life story is of major importance to the world.