Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia

Well done, Anne. This book captures the real Russia that is often not described in the news media. Anne made a wise choice to get well off the beaten path in Russia to research her story subject and characters. My takeaway: Russians are not all that different from Americans. They want improvements in their lives as we do but their existence has been shaped by their unstable and corrupt politics. Anne describes it with personal experience, emotion, and expertise.
If you like historical and political nonfiction narratives like Putin Country, you may enjoy Hang on and Fly. Look for it here: Hang on and Fly: A Post-War Story of Plane Crash Tragedies, Heroism, and Survival

"Putin Country: A Journey Into the Real Russia" (2016 publication; 239 pages) is a non-fiction book written by Anne Garrels. If you are a long-time listeren of NPR, you will likely remember Garrels as the long-time senior foreign correspondent, including long stints in Moscow. (Sadly, Garrels, retired from NPR a few years ago). Early on, Garrels makes the point that Moscow is of course not the real Russia, and in the early 90s, she decided to get to know the real Russia, and by a stroke of luck "chose" the city of Chelyabinsk, 1000 mi. east of Moscow, to visit repeatedly. Now almost 25 years later, we get the fruits of those frequent visits in this delightful book.

As the book opens, the author describes the meteor that struck Chelyabinsk, which event would bring new notoriety to the city (due to the event's many video clips posted on internet). It's not long before Garrels explains why thie region is such a strong supporter of Putin: "Most people unhappily remember what they call the "anarchy" of the 1990s, when lawlessness and declining living standards followed the collapse of the USSR. They are eager for stability and a sense of national pride, which they believe President Putin has delivered." And later on: "The price for all this--diminished freedom and growing corruption--was one most seemed willing to pay."The book's first pages immediately grabbed me and took me in: "When I first arrived in 1993, Chelyabinsk was a depressing place, where people were alternately desperate, hopeful and fearful." In subsequent chapters, Garrels basically retells the trials and turbulations of various people in Chelyabinsk she has come to know, and know well, over the years: a taxi driver, a gay person, a doctor, an addict, a parent refusing to give up their 'disabled' child to the Russian state, etc., etc. It all makes fro gripping, and at times heartbreaking, reading. The rampant corruption, at seemingly every level of society, even in the more mundane aspects of life, as well as the utter contempt if not disdain of government officials for the well-being of its people (read the chapter called "Nuclear Nightmare" to get an idea) just makes your head shake in bewilderment. Yet there are also signs of hope. But more than anything else, you come to understand why many segments of the population continue to support Putin.

With the start of the Trump presidency on us later this week, this book (which came out in March last year) is more timely than ever. I became aware of the book when recently I heard an interview with Garrels (on NPR, of course), and immediately made a note to myself to pick up this book. So glad I did. The book is written superbly, with Garrels simply letting the facts speak for themselves. If you have any interest in wanting to understand what is going on in the real Russia, and why Putin remains so popular at home despite everything else, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You will thank me later. "Putin Country" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

One of the finest book-form works of journalism I’ve encountered. Anne Garrels really delivers in presenting modern-day Russia from the perspective of its citizens outside the major metropolises. While she predominately focuses on Cheylabinsk, she also travels to other areas to help us understand Russia attributes that extend well beyond one city.

I’m a strong advocate of people supporting technocratic competency over demagogues that exploit people’s ideologies, bigotries, and too many’s inability to think critically about politics. One of many reasons for my technocratic advocacy is the law of unintended consequences. That incompetent policy makers will deliver results so bad one couldn’t imagine, let along predict, some of those results until it’s too late.

Here Ms. Garrel shines by reporting so many types of harm done by the Putin regime’s systemic application of corruption. And how that corruption causes pervasive suffering far beyond the imaginable. One example is how people are wrongly imprisoned. Then their family suffers from extortion by politicians and the prison system to insure their prisoner-relative receive even basic necessities. So the book is an excellent though implicit illustration on why competency should be celebrated rather than identity politics.

Ms. Garrels also reveals how deeply delusional Russian authoritarians are, even when they directly suffer from the policies of the very leaders they support. This is a beneficial insight to the U.S. reader given that Americans do not suffer to the degree Russians do given our authoritarians don’t completely dominate U.S. politics and therefore are unable to enact all that they promote.

Here that means that while Putin and his allies rob the country, Russians remain loyal Putin fans given his skills as an authoritarian social dominator. I think the lesson here is that U.S. should expect the same degree of denialism in the harm done by those they support if our authoritarians came to dominate with no checks on their power. So if Putin’s exploitation of Russia can’t sway authoritarians to change and stop him, the U.S. should assume the same of its authoritarians towards their leaders. For more reading on authoritarian thinking and behavior, I suggest Chris Mooney's The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science- and Reality and Robert Altemeyer’s free on-line book, “The Authoritarians”.

I read this book as an immediate reaction to Donald Trump winning the 2016 president election; I finished prior to his inauguration. I was benchmarking the expected looming damage that Donald Trump, a wanna-be Vlad Putin could wreak relative to that done by President Putin. Can a President Trump lead to the degree of suffering Ms. Garrels reports that’s going-on in Russia? Given that Ms. Garrel’s book was published prior to the rise of Donald Trump, her take here is unclouded by that threat.

My conclusion after reading this book is that I don’t think President Trump can increase corruption in the U.S. to the degree suffered in Russia; at least in the short- and intermediate-term. However and again, one’s conclusions must be checked by the Law of Unintended Consequences; so I wouldn’t be shocked to be wrong on that prediction. I remain optimistic given that the U.S. enjoys checks and balances that Russia lacks. That coupled to America enjoying a old, strong liberal strain that will not be swayed by President Trump’s fascist efforts. Compare those strengths to Russia’s legacy rising out of the USSR’s totalitarianism; a perfect precursor for Putin to implement his authoritarian rule given the people are already psychologically dispositioned towards ideology, populism, and identity politics.

I am confident the entire world will suffer from Trump’s presidency given his global warming denialism, and putting his faith into practice. But that’s a different type of harm then the damage Putin now wreaks in Russia.

I think the most benefit I gained from reading this book is understanding how Russia is different now relative to when the Communist party ruled the USSR. The book also served as a fine illustration on how inter-connected totalitarianism is with right-wing authoritarianism in practice there now, even leftist totalitarianism as practiced by Russia’s Communist party during the Soviet era. Authoritarianism is a logical path for a totalitarian regime that imploded. Historically literate Americans have a solid understanding of the USSR, but I don’t think that’s true of their understanding of modern-day Russia. So Ms. Garrels work isn’t merely solid and enlightening, it’s also rare in a world that needs far more information about what’s going on in Russia.

Kind of a let-down -- some chapters are eye-opening and heart-breaking, such as the ones on LGBT discrimination and the dismal state of Russia's health care system. But for me, the overall tone quickly became repetitive and almost cliche in its negativity -- yes, things are bad on many fronts, but as many of the people interviewed point out, they're not nearly as bad as they once were. I also don't think you can explain the story of a country of that size through the prism of one town. For that reason alone, this felt to me like a magazine article that somehow became a book.

Anne Garrels is a journalist for NPR and has journeyed to the Russian city of Chelyabinsk about a thousand miles from Moscow many times. In this book, she chronicles the real Russia that not too many people here in the United States understand.

What she discovered is that Putin is still popular in Russia because there is no leader to replace him. They do not want to return to the Yeltsin rule and tend to blame all of their problems on the United States. This is not a good thing for us.

Religion is making a comeback in Russia but only if you are Orthodox Christian. That is the religion that Putin likes and any other is looked down on and will not get you far in the new Russia.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a continuous problem with little good treatment options. Children with disabilities are frowned upon and the parents are encouraged to give them to the state to put in state run orphanages.

Doctors are far behind our medical knowledge and are encouraged to use techniques that have been disproved in the west. A doctor may make $200 a month so many have to augment their pay by doing plastic surgery or other procedures not sanctioned by the government.

Teachers are also low paid; in fact, a university professor makes less than an elementary school teacher. Students claim to be Orthodox Christian but cannot name the four evangelists. When questioned on problems in the country they answer that that is the government’s job. They don’t need to know they accept what the government tells them.

Pollution is horrible and getting worse. Corruption is everywhere. It is truly a sad state of affairs. The people who accept this and know how bad it is choose to emigrate rather than save the country they love.

I checked this book out from my local library.

Loved this book. Much-needed primer on recent Russian history, plus a series of appealing and revealing stories of real Russians, putting broad geopolitical and economic issues into personal perspective. Great read, and the timing couldn't be better, either!

Excellent. Garrels has spent many years in Russia and her depth and breadth of experience shine in this set of insights into modern Russia. The various chapters all tie together, but they read like extended articles or essays, offering a unique window into the daily realities of living in Russia. She spent her time in Chelyabinsk, a large city but not one of the premier cities, allowing Garrels to reveal more typical details of life for a great number of Russians. She does not cover some of the more well known scandals deeply, but rather concentrates on topics that do not get wide and thorough coverage. Highly recommended for those trying to gain a better understanding of this fallen and now seemingly re-risen world power.

This book includes the description of problems in different areas of life in one of the Russian cities Chelyabinsk, city very remoted from Moscow, during the times of early 90th and following two decades. I like that the author did not focus on economic progress and transformation in Moscow, but chose to report on the area that is far away from Moscow and the reach of the reforms as this gives you better picture of the Russia and it's people and their problems, the harsh living conditions, and little care from the leaders, what people think, controversies, hate for the corrupt system and the conditions, and yet unexplainable support for their president. Someone might say the book too critical and there are no positives of the Putin's influence included in this book. Although, one might find some positive changes today, I imagine that the period described in the book would be the one when some positive changes in economic conditions could be observed in Moscow and close urban areas but those did not penetrate the corruption scheme and reach far away to the city of Chelyabinsk during that period of time.
I grew up in the neighboring Czechoslovakia (today Slovakia), just one hour from the border with Ukraine. I was 17 when the communist regime collapsed in 1989. I found the authors description very realistic, and some of the conditions remind me of those in Slovakia. The revolution in 1989 and the change of the regime brought a lot of positive changes, political freedoms, and a lot more products available on the shelves in stores, however it also brought a lot of new opportunities for the corruption. When during the communism, only high level members of the party were rich and the rest of the people struggled, there was no private businesses or property ownerships, topped with the suppression of political freedom and no democracy after the collapse people wanted to find the way to get their piece of pie. Opportunists', people's characters and integrity became compromised. Entering EU did bring further positives changes, so needed funds for renewal and economical progress together with also additional regulations that are not viewed in a positive light by some. I remember the section in the book that describes how many people are afraid of speaking up or taking part in protest. Putin is a master manipulator. Although the book doesn't describe directly any particular Putin action, it describe the impact of Putin's politics, or his action/inaction, on it's people.

I heard Anne being interviewed on NPR and purchased it that night because I really wanted to get an over view of what it was like to be a Russian these days. Like many, I've just kind of gathered my own opinions about it without getting a good over view. This book did just that. It is very well written and organized. Going forward I have a much better perspective vs. just picking up bits and pieces. I am recommending this book to any of my friends that even mention the word, Russia. Everyone needs this background to better understand that powerful, historical place. I wish she would write a book like this about a lot of countries.

..but hey, where does the good one really exist?

Anne Garrels has spent almost 40 years in Russia. Now she has selected and examines the Chelyabinsk Oblast from inside out on many fronts, referring to it as the 'real Russia'. She spins tales amassed mostly from dissidents, disgruntled, and people involved in some way with West funded NGOs. As a correspondent for National Public Radio sponsored by George Soros, she has been involved in NGO as well. The reason why Russian government does not like NGO , is clearly explained in another book : "The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the Struggle for Russia" by Angus Roxburgh (recommended). Eventually, frustrated Russian government passed, not without the reason, a special law prohibiting NGOs from taking money from foreigners like Soros.

Topic in the book include: health care, child care, education, ethnic communities, jobs, religion/church affairs, military draft, daily life of families, internal politics, addictions to drugs, democracy status, pollution of lakes and rivers - just to name a few. She 'paints' a picture' of a country drawing from the past years of Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin (nothing positive off course). We learn that Russia has changed many times since the Revolution and after both wars, and each change left a large scar, almost impossible to mend.

I observe "Putin Country" as a relatively objective, though Garrels does not like Putin and his government, that is obvious. Initially she admits that in 2014 opposition in Ukraine was US-backed, but she perceives Crimea as 'annexed', without mentioning how people voted. She gets even more vitriolic towards the end, stating that Putin's policies are confrontational and isolationistic. Sometimes she loses common sense, naively believing in overblown stories. For example: writing often how little people earn, yet she believes that local corrupted officials demand monthly 'fee' of $16 000 (?) from the owner of funeral business. Word 'corruption' is present almost on every page of the book. Reading this book and omnipresent criticism, I could not stop thinking about the idiom "the pot calling the kettle black". In order to find more about "the pot" it is enough to consider checking online journal "Strategic Culture Foundation" and read article by American writer and investigative historian Eric Zuesse. Published June 08/2016; section 'world'.
To be fair, from time to time Garrels quotes individuals, who for variety of reasons support Putin and his government.

In summary: Russia is, and will be, hard to fathom by westerners. I liked the quote from poet Fyodor Tyutchev on page 123:

Russia cannot be known by the mind
Nor measured by the common mile;
Her status is unique, without kind----
Russia can only be believed in.

I only wish that Anne Garrels would write the same type of book about her own country. She is now back at her home and does not work for any radio. She has plenty of time on her hands. Please Anne, pick your spot, talk to people. If she does it, I will be the first to jump on it.

PS: If one wants to know more about Russia, I highly recommend Ryszard Kapuscinski's "Imperium". Here he chronicles the life of the Soviet Union based on his travelling there in different times. He divides his book into three sections: "First Encounters (1939-1967)"; "From a Bird's-Eye View (1989-1991)"; and "The Sequel Continues (1992-1993)." "Imperium" deserves 5 stars.

Loved the stories in this book, which made the descriptions of "Putin's Russia" very personal and real.
I enjoyed the structure of the book too, taking issues chapter by chapter, covering families, the LGBT community, freedom of the press, nuclear waste, etc., in turn.
I found it to be a fair portrayal of the ambivalence Russians have towards their autocratic ruler.
I finished the book with a much better understanding of why average Russians support the regime, and also a bit more humble about America's role in creating a space for Putin to gain such broad support.
At the same time, the author deftly identifies those fighting the good fight for human rights and rule of law in a country that's struggled with both, especially over its last 100 years of history.
Highly recommended!

..but hey, where does the good one really exist?

Anne Garrels has spent almost 40 years in Russia. Now she has selected and examines the Chelyabinsk Oblast from inside out on many fronts, referring to it as the 'real Russia'. She spins tales amassed mostly from dissidents, disgruntled, and people involved in some way with West funded NGOs. As a correspondent for National Public Radio sponsored by George Soros, she has been involved in NGO as well. The reason why Russian government does not like NGO , is clearly explained in another book : "The Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the Struggle for Russia" by Angus Roxburgh (recommended). Eventually, frustrated Russian government passed, not without the reason, a special law prohibiting NGOs from taking money from foreigners like Soros.

Topic in the book include: health care, child care, education, ethnic communities, jobs, religion/church affairs, military draft, daily life of families, internal politics, addictions to drugs, democracy status, pollution of lakes and rivers - just to name a few. She 'paints' a picture' of a country drawing from the past years of Stalin, Khrushchev, Gorbachev, and Yeltsin (nothing positive off course). We learn that Russia has changed many times since the Revolution and after both wars, and each change left a large scar, almost impossible to mend.

I observe "Putin Country" as a relatively objective, though Garrels does not like Putin and his government, that is obvious. Initially she admits that in 2014 opposition in Ukraine was US-backed, but she perceives Crimea as 'annexed', without mentioning how people voted. She gets even more vitriolic towards the end, stating that Putin's policies are confrontational and isolationistic. Sometimes she loses common sense, naively believing in overblown stories. For example: writing often how little people earn, yet she believes that local corrupted officials demand monthly 'fee' of $16 000 (?) from the owner of funeral business. Word 'corruption' is present almost on every page of the book. Reading this book and omnipresent criticism, I could not stop thinking about the idiom "the pot calling the kettle black". In order to find more about "the pot" it is enough to consider checking online journal "Strategic Culture Foundation" and read article by American writer and investigative historian Eric Zuesse. Published June 08/2016; section 'world'.
To be fair, from time to time Garrels quotes individuals, who for variety of reasons support Putin and his government.

In summary: Russia is, and will be, hard to fathom by westerners. I liked the quote from poet Fyodor Tyutchev on page 123:

Russia cannot be known by the mind
Nor measured by the common mile;
Her status is unique, without kind----
Russia can only be believed in.

I only wish that Anne Garrels would write the same type of book about her own country. She is now back at her home and does not work for any radio. She has plenty of time on her hands. Please Anne, pick your spot, talk to people. If she does it, I will be the first to jump on it.

PS: If one wants to know more about Russia, I highly recommend Ryszard Kapuscinski's "Imperium". Here he chronicles the life of the Soviet Union based on his travelling there in different times. He divides his book into three sections: "First Encounters (1939-1967)"; "From a Bird's-Eye View (1989-1991)"; and "The Sequel Continues (1992-1993)." "Imperium" deserves 5 stars.

Loved the stories in this book, which made the descriptions of "Putin's Russia" very personal and real.
I enjoyed the structure of the book too, taking issues chapter by chapter, covering families, the LGBT community, freedom of the press, nuclear waste, etc., in turn.
I found it to be a fair portrayal of the ambivalence Russians have towards their autocratic ruler.
I finished the book with a much better understanding of why average Russians support the regime, and also a bit more humble about America's role in creating a space for Putin to gain such broad support.
At the same time, the author deftly identifies those fighting the good fight for human rights and rule of law in a country that's struggled with both, especially over its last 100 years of history.
Highly recommended!

This book is brilliant. Anne Garrels lets Russians explain themselves and in the telling reveal how and why Putin has come to rule Russia. There is nothing else like it. A must to understand that country and how it sees its place in the world.

This book provides a great overview of what life is like for those Russians living in Chelyabinsk. The stories are anecdotal, but the author uses them to give a overall structure and narrative to describe Russian life.

Brave reporting & clear journalistic style. Important, eye-opening. Best path of entry for me was to select chapters of interest from the Table of Contents, then proceed in my own order. Attention publisher: badly needs a map.