Darkness at Dawn : The Rise of the Russian Criminal State

Anticipating a new dawn of freedom and democracy after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russians could hardly have foreseen the reality of their future a decade later: a country desperately impoverished and controlled at every level by criminals. This compelling book tells the story of the 1990s reform period in Russia through the experiences of individual citizens. Recounting in detail the development of a new era of oppression, journalist David Satter conveys the staggering nature of the changes that have swept Russian life, society, and ways of thinking. Through the stories of people at all levels of Russian society, Satter describes fraudulent investment schemes, massive corruption, and the intrusion of organized crime everywhere. With insights derived from more than twenty years of writing and reporting on Russia, Satter considers why the individual human being there has historically counted for so little. And he offers an illuminating analysis of how Russia’s post-Soviet fate was decided when a new morality failed to fill the vast moral vacuum that communism left in its wake. "The Russia that Satter depicts in this brave, engaging book cannot be ignored . . . Required reading for anyone interested in the post-Soviet state" ( Newsweek ). Anticipating a new dawn of freedom after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russians could hardly have foreseen the reality of their future a decade later: A country impoverished and controlled at every level by organized crime. This riveting book views the 1990s reform period through the experiences of individual citizens, revealing the changes that have swept Russia and their effect on Russia's age-old ways of thinking. "With a reporter's eye for vivid detail and a novelist's ability to capture emotion, he conveys the drama of Russia's rocky road for the average victimized Russian . . . This is only half the story of what is happening in Russia these days, but it is the shattering half, and Satter renders it all the more poignant by making it so human." — Foreign Affairs "[Satter] tells engrossing tales of brazen chicanery, official greed and unbearable suffering . . . Satter manages to bring the events to life with excruciating accounts of real Russians whose lives were shattered." — The Baltimore Sun "Satter must be commended for saying what a great many people only dare to think." — The Globe and Mail (Toronto) "Humane and articulate." — The Spectator "Vivid, impeccably researched and truly frightening . . . Western policy-makers would do well to study these pages." — National Post Anticipating a new dawn of freedom and democracy after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russians could hardly have foreseen the reality of their future a decade later: a country desperately impoverished and controlled at every level by criminals. This is the story of the 1990s reform period in Russia through the experiences of individual citizens. Recounting in detail the development of a new era of oppression, journalist David Satter conveys the staggering nature of the changes that have swept Russian life, society and ways of thinking. Through the stories of people at all levels of Russian society, Satter describes fraudulent investment schemes, massive corruption, and the intrusion of organized crime everywhere. With insights derived from more than 20 years of writing and reporting on Russia, Satter considers why the individual human being there has historically counted for so little. He also offers an analysis of how Russia's post-Soviet fate was decided when a new morality failed to fill the vast moral vacuum that communism left in its wake "This book tells the story of reform in Russia through the real experiences of individual citizens. Describing in detail the birth of a new era of repression, David Satter analyzes the changes that have swept Russia and their effect on Russia's age-old way of thinking." "Through the stories of people at all levels of Russian society, Satter shows the contrast during the reform period between the desperation of the many and the insatiability of the few. With insights derived from more than twenty years of writing and reporting on Russia, he considers why the individual human being there has historically counted for so little. And he offers an illuminating analysis of how Russia's post-Soviet fate was decided when a new morality failed to fill the vast moral vacuum that communism left in its wake."--Jacket Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations and Administrative Delineations -- Introduction -- 1. The Kursk -- 2. Ryazan -- 3. The Young Reformers -- 4. The History of Reform -- 5. The Gold Seekers -- 6. The Workers -- 7. Law Enforcement -- 8. Organized Crime -- 9. Ulyanovsk -- 10. Vladivostok -- 11. Krasnoyarsk -- 12. The Value of Human Life -- 13. The Criminalization of Consciousness -- Conclusion: Does Russia Have a Future? -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Acknowledgments -- Index Introduction -- The Kursk -- Ryazan -- The Young Reformers -- The History Of Reform -- The Gold Seekers -- The Workers -- Law Enforcement -- Organized Crime -- Ulyanovsk -- Vladivostok -- Krasnoyarsk -- The Value Of Human Life -- The Criminalization Of Consciousness -- Conclusion : Does Russia Have A Future? David Satter. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 257-302) And Index.