Russia Transformed - Softcover

Recent news from Russia has been almost invariably worrisome. Tanks bombard the Parliament, soldiers crush Chechnya, Zhirinovsky rises to frightening prominence, and General Lebed and Gennadi Zhuganov threaten to capture the new parliament. A new Russia stands in the place of the Soviet empire, yet the West is as puzzled as ever by this "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma," with the Western attitude careening from Cold War to euphoria to a "cold peace."Since the years of perestroika and glasnost, Russia has changed radically in every respect--economically, politically, culturally, and in its international status and aspirations. Will Russia disintegrate or recover and try to recapture its lost colonies? Russia Transformed analyzes the implications behind these changes and provides an antidote to Western perceptions of the new Russia, which have usually either exaggerated or underestimated the country's shortcomings-- repeating the errors of Cold War thinking in a new context.Russia Transformed dispels many misunderstandings and misconceptions about the new Russia, documenting the new Russian elite's struggles to create an entirely new economy and political system while dealing with wrenching changes in social conditions, such as inflation, crime, alcoholism, political corruption, and poverty. In addition, the author uses cognitive psychology to provide insights into Boris Yeltsin's personality, mentality, operational style, political evolution, and place in history.