Elena Davlikanova is a Democracy Fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA.) She is an experienced researcher and in 2022 was co-author of ‘The Work of the Ukrainian Parliament in Wartime’ and ‘The War of Narratives: The Image of Ukraine in Media.’
The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America (Crown, 2018) by Timothy Snyder
This book delves into Russian attempts to influence Western democracies and the impact of philosopher Ivan Ilyin on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation. Reviews ranged from a “good wake-up call” by historian Margaret MacMillan, to a “current liberal narrative” by critics who questioned its portrayal of Ilyin and the extent of Russian influence in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Given the course of events since February 2022, you might think Snyder was triumphantly right and his critics embarrassingly wrong.
Putin vs. the People: The Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia Paperback (Yale, 2019) by Samuel A. Greene and Graeme B. Robertson
Putin vs. the People offers a bottom-up exploration of contemporary Russian politics, challenging perceptions of Putin’s grip on power. Authors utilize interviews, surveys, social media data, and leaked documents to reveal the complexities of Putin’s popular support, drawing on pivotal events such as the “For Fair Elections” protests, the annexation of Crimea, and the War in Eastern Ukraine.
The book sheds light on the endurance of Putin’s rule, ultimately presenting a nuanced and compelling account of the roots of his political influence.
War and Punishment (Scribner, 2023) by Mikhail Zygar
Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist, presents an unmatched, centuries-long overview of Russia’s history of oppressing Ukraine. He managed to look into Russia-Ukraine relationships from the de-imperialized perspective, rare for Russian observers, offering a unique and vital perspective on the ongoing threat to global stability.
Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions expressed on Europe’s Edge are those of the author alone and may not represent those of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis. CEPA maintains a strict intellectual independence policy across all its projects and publications.
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