Dark Side of the Earth: Russia's Short-Lived Victory Over Totalitarianism
Dark Side of the Earth: Russia's Short-Lived Victory Over Totalitarianism
Dark Side of the Earth: Russia's Short-Lived Victory Over Totalitarianism
Description
Description
Named a Best History Book of the Year by The Times (London) From "one of the most thoughtful Russian writers of our time" (Yulia Navalnaya) comes "an extraordinarily revealing account" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) of why the Soviet Union's collapse was incomplete and the Cold War never really ended--resulting in the resurgence of Russian imperialism, the invasion of Ukraine, and Russia's tense relationship with Western Europe and America. Russian-born journalist Mikhail Zygar was ten years old when the Soviet Union collapsed. Now, after a decade of research, he offers a timely new approach to Russian history--one that rewrites everything we thought we knew about the fall of the Soviet Union and argues that what was perceived as a triumph for freedom and political courage led inexorably and tragically to the reestablishment of totalitarianism. Starting with the historic launch of the first human into space in April 1961, Zygar unfolds the dramatic story of resistance and resilience that led to the Soviet Union's dissolution--and which echoes today in Russia's oppressive regime. Zygar conducted several hundred exclusive interviews with key figures, including former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, the first presidents of the independent post-Soviet republics, the final First Secretaries of these republics, and leaders of independence movements within them, as well as Western politicians and diplomats who were witnesses to and participants in those events. He dives into the struggles and triumphs of such figures as Andrei Sakharov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Vladimir Vysotsky, whose defiance of totalitarianism is both inspiring and deeply relevant. Zygar explains how the "victory" over the Soviet Empire was short-lived, as today's Russian regime under Vladimir Putin maintains its expansionist ambitions. More than a history lesson, The Dark Side of the Earth "challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the unfinished business of the 20th century and the enduring shadows cast by empire" (The Cipher Brief). Bold, brilliant, and magisterial in scope, this is a deeply human story that demands to be heard.
About the Author
About the Author
Mikhail Zygar is a journalist, writer, and filmmaker, and the founding editor-in-chief of Russian news channel Dozhd, which provided an alternative to Kremlin-controlled federal TV channels by giving a platform to opposition voices. The recipient of a CPJ International Press Freedom Award, Zygar writes a weekly column on Russia and the war for DerSpiegel and also writes for The New York Times, Time, Vanity Fair, and Foreign Affairs. He is also the author of All the Kremlin's Men, The Empire Must Die, and War and Punishment. Currently a guest lecturer at Columbia University, he lives in New York with his husband.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Marking an important turn in Zygar's career, The Dark Side of the Earth signals his shift from chronicler of political life to a thinker about cultural politics . . . Zygar reminds us that Russia is not some mysterious enigma, but rather a violent, nihilistic mirror of what other polities might equally become . . . Pointed, novel, and profoundly relevant." --Foreign Policy
"A marathon effort . . . a dramatic story, full of wonderful anecdotes." --Financial Times (UK)
"The Dark Side of the Earth is a consequential addition to contemporary Russian studies and Cold War historiography. It challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the unfinished business of the 20th century and the enduring shadows cast by empire. Zygar's work is not only a historical reckoning but also a call to vigilance in the face of resurgent authoritarianism." --The Cipher Brief
"Seasoned journalist Zygar draws from a decade of interviews with a wide array of Soviet leaders, including Mikhail Gorbachev, writers, musicians, poets, and academics, to reveal a lively underground of Russian hopes and yearning for freedom. . . . Zygar's richly specific and dynamic history sets the stage for today's Russian fascism." --Booklist
"Exiled Russian journalist Zygar delivers a sobering portrait of Russia's brief moment in democratic sunlight. . . . an extraordinarily revealing account of how the Russia we know from today's headlines came into being." --Kirkus (starred review)
"Mikhail Zygar's The Dark Side of the Earth is an idiosyncratic, insightful account of both the end of the Soviet Union and the rise of Putinism--a useful and timely reminder of how closely these two forms of dictatorship are connected." --Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag and Autocracy, Inc
"I love books that tell the story of an entire country through the intimate, everyday lives of its people--both famous and unknown. Mikhail Zygar is one of the most thoughtful Russian writers of our time, and behind every page lies meticulous, painstaking work. You may think you know how it all ends, but still, you simply can't put it down." --Yulia Navalnaya
"In Zygar's book, it's people who take center stage--not messiahs; individual characters, not abstract nations. We see that it wasn't dictators who saved the world from apocalypse, but humanists. And the contrast with today's rulers makes the book all the more bitter and revealing. And yes, it's brilliantly written--with a lively, sparkling wit." --Dmitry Muratov, journalist and winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize
"Mikhail Zygar is one of the most brilliant observers of contemporary Russia. He is both a protagonist in his country's recent history and a skilled analyst of its politics. The Dark Side of the Earth showcases his unique perspectives, and considerable talent for vivid storytelling as he looks back at the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is also a deeply personal story, which makes for a particularly powerful narrative and a profoundly moving book." --Fiona Hill, former National Security Council official and New York Times bestselling author of There Is Nothing For You Here
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Scribner Book Company
Pub date:
2026-11-24
Length:
560 pages
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