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Freedom of Speech in Russia

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Freedom of Speech in Russia Synopsis

This book traces the life of free speech in Russia from the final years of the Soviet Union to the present. It shows how long-cherished hopes for an open society in which people would speak freely and tell truth to power fared under Gorbachev’s glasnost; how free speech was a real, if fractured, achievement of Yeltsin’s years in power; and how easy it was for Putin to reverse these newly won freedoms, imposing a ‘patrimonial’ media that sits comfortably with old autocratic and feudal traditions. The book explores why this turn seemed so inexorable and now seems so entrenched. It examines the historical legacy, and Russia’s culturally ambivalent perception of freedom, which Dostoyevsky called that ‘terrible gift’. It evaluates the allure of western consumerism and Soviet-era illusions that stunted the initial promise of freedom and democracy. The behaviour of journalists and their apparent complicity in the distortion of their profession come under scrutiny. This ambitious study covering more than 30 years of radical change looks at responses ‘from above’ and ‘from below’, and asks whether the players truly understood what was involved in the practice of free speech.

About This Edition

ISBN: 9781138743267
Publication date:
Author: Daphne Formerly a journalist and consultant working in Moscow, with a doctorate from University College London Skillen
Publisher: Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis Ltd
Format: Paperback
Pagination: 364 pages
Series: BASEES/Routledge Series on Russian and East European Studies
Genres: Ethnic studies
Social and cultural history
Human rights, civil rights
Political campaigning and advertising
Regional geography