The Social History of Post-Communist Russia (Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series) - Hardcover

This book tells the untold story of how ordinary Russian people experienced and coped with Russia's transformations after the end of communism. Unlike most studies of the subject which focus on high politics, developments in the elite and events at the centre, this book, which includes findings from interviews, memoirs, public opinion surveys and press articles and documents from the regions, portrays a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional society with different groups affected by the deep and varied changes in diverse and different ways. The book covers economic developments, social changes, how official policies played out at the grass-roots level, the psychological impact of the changes and the impact on public opinion, and how different regions were affected differently. Overall, the book reveals the hidden dynamics of Russian society, including its formal and informal mechanisms and rules for relating to the state and other citizens, and shows how millions of Russians coped, despite all the odds, and maintained the integrity and stability of the country.

Piotr Dutkiewicz is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Richard Sakwa is Professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent, UK.

Vladimir Kulikov is Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of State Politics, Faculty of Political Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University.