Russia

With one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, Russia is a nation of contradictions. While it has a history of sacrificing the individual for the collectivist cause, it is also a country of cultural refinement and artistic originality. In this riveting history, Martin Sixsmith shows how Russia’s complex identity has been formed over a thousand years, and how it can help us understand its often baffling behavior at home and abroad.
Martin Sixsmith combines in-depth research with his twenty years of personal experience as the BBC Moscow correspondent to tell the story of this fascinating nation, from its foundation in the last years of the tenth century to the first years of the new millennium. He skillfully traces the issues of modern Russia to roots in its troubled past, explores the myths Russians have created from their history, and speculates about its uncertain future. Covering art, politics, music, literature and art, Sixsmith gives us an ambitious portrait of a country. Marking the twentieth anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the complex political landscape of Russia and its unique place in the modern world.