It was a balancing act between two worlds, the safe, secure life in Germany on the one hand and the magical attraction of a foreign country on the other. With time, for the German journalist and author, Brigitte Schulze, Ukraine became a second home. She lived and worked there for more than twenty-five years. Kiev, Odessa, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk were some of the stations of her life in Ukraine, a life that was not always without personal risks. Courageously she met all challenges an...

This volume deals with the nature of the relationship between the countries of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and those of the Third World, offering some background to the decline in the Soviet Union's international position, both politically and economically.

Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeOne of the Best Books of the Year: The New York TimesFrom the editor of The New Yorker: a riveting account of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which has become the standard book on the subject. Lenin’s Tomb combines the global vision of the best historical scholarship with the immediacy of eyewitness journalism. Remnick takes us through the tumultuous 75-year period of Communist rule le...

From former NPR Moscow correspondent Gregory Feifer comes an incisive portrait that draws on vivid personal stories to portray the forces that have shaped the Russian character for centuries-and continue to do so today.Russians explores the seeming paradoxes of life in Russia by unraveling the nature of its people: what is it in their history, their desires, and their conception of themselves that makes them baffling to the West? Using the insights of his d...

A James Beard Award-winning writer captures life under the Red socialist banner in this wildly inventive, tragicomic memoir of feasts, famines, and three generations“Delicious . . . A banquet of anecdote that brings history to life with intimacy, candor, and glorious color.”—NPR’s All Things ConsideredBorn in 1963, in an era of bread shortages, Anya grew up in a communal Moscow apartment where eighteen families shared one kitchen. ...

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, former Soviet republic Ukraine has struggled against its giant neighbor to the north”-Russia- to maintain its sovereignty. In early 2014 tensions turned to conflict as Vladimir Putin, determined to keep Ukraine from forging stronger ties with the West, seized Crimea and fomented conflict in eastern Ukraine. In the latest Brookings essay, Chrystia Freeland, a former Ukrainian-based reporter with strong family ties to the country, offers a pers...

**WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZEWINNER OF THE CORNELIUS RYAN AWARDFINALIST FOR THE LIONEL GELBER PRIZEFINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR“Fast-paced and excellently written…much needed, dispassionate and eminently readable.” —New York Times“Filled with sparkling prose and deep analysis.” –The Wall Street Journal**The breakup of the Soviet Union was a time of optimism around the world, but Russia today is actively involved in subversiv...

Travels with NPR host David Greene along the Trans-Siberian Railroad capture an overlooked, idiosyncratic Russia in the age of Putin.Far away from the trendy cafés, designer boutiques, and political protests and crackdowns in Moscow, the real Russia exists.Midnight in Siberia chronicles David Greene’s journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, a 6,000-mile cross-country trip from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. In quadruple-bunked cabins and...

The implosion of the Soviet Union was the culmination of a gripping game played out between two men who intensely disliked each other and had different concepts for the future. Mikhail Gorbachev, a sophisticated and urbane reformer, sought to modernize and preserve the USSR; Boris Yeltsin, a coarse and a hard drinking "bulldozer," wished to destroy the union and create a capitalist Russia. The defeat of the August 1991 coup attempt, carried out by hardline communists, shook Gorbachev's aut...

A vivid and intimate account of the Ukrainian Revolution, the rare moment when the political became the existential“Shore brilliantly captures the contingency, uncertainty, and chaos that was transmuted into the remarkable, seemingly transcendent solidarity of the Maidan’s unified resistance to a corrupt and cruel régime.”—Charles Taylor, professor emeritus of philosophy, McGill UniversityWhat is worth dying for? While the world watched the...

Who are the Ukrainians? What are the key historical and cultural events that have shaped them? What are their values, and what challenges do they face today?Ukraine is a country of paradoxes. The people are proud of their roots, yet reticent about their recent past; the country participates in international space programs and produces the world's largest aircraft, but still lives in a world rich with superstition. The Ukrainian way of life is a mix of the old Sovie...

Culture Smart! provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and suc...