The compatriots : the brutal and chaotic history of Russia's exiles, émigrés, and agents abroad

The authors of 'The Red Web' examine the shifting role of Russian expatriates throughout history, and their complicated, unbreakable relationship with the mother country - be it antagonistic or far too chummy. From the time of the Tsars to the waning days of Communist regime, Russian leaders tried to control the flow of ideas by controlling its citizens' movements. They believed strict limits on travel combined with censorship was the best way to escape the influence of subversive Western ideologies. Yet Russians continued to emigrate westward, both to seek new opportunities and to flee political crises at home. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Russians' presence in Western countries - particularly the United States - has been for the Kremlin both the biggest threat and the biggest opportunity. It sought for years to use the Russian emigre community to achieve Russia's goals - espionage to be sure, but also to influence policies and public opinion. Russia's exiles are a potent mix of the very rich and the very driven, some deeply hostile to their homeland and others deeply patriotic. Russia, a vast, insular nation, depends on its emigres - but it cannot always count on them. Celebrated Moscow-based journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan masterfully look at the complex, ever-shifting role of Russian migrs from the October Revolution to present day. From comely secret agents to tragically doomed dissidents, the story of Russian migrs is at times thrilling, at times touching, and always full of intrigue. But their influence and importance is an invaluable angle through which to understand Russia in the modern world. The Compatriots provides an intriguing and thought provoking gripping history of Russian score settling around the globe. 2019 Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan (P)2019 Hachette Audio Moscow-based Journalists Andrei Soldatov And Irina Borogan Look At The Complex, Ever-shifting Role Of Russian Emigrés Since The 1917 October Revolution To The Present Day. From Secret Agents To Doomed Dissidents, The Story Of Russian Emigrés Is An Invaluable Angle Through Which To Understand Russia In The Modern World.-- Soviet/russian Foreign Intelligence Organizations And Departments In Charge Of Keeping Tabs On Russian Emigrés -- Cast Of Characters -- Part 1. Spies And Dissidents -- Talent Spotting -- Identifying Targets -- The Cost Of Love -- The Horse -- The Mother -- Operations Area: United States -- The Tide Turns -- Warring Narratives -- Stalin's Daughter -- Now It's Official -- Bear In The West -- The Kgb Thinks Big -- Moving People -- The Other Russia -- Part 2. Market Forces -- Moving The Money -- The Scheme Devised -- Muddying The Waters -- Some Habits Die Hard -- Cooperation And Rebranding -- Part 3. Putin's Project -- A Fresh Start -- The Siege -- Getting Out The Message -- The Crisis -- Courting The White Church -- Reunion -- Part 4. Means Of Outreach -- Political Emigration: Restart -- Illusions Crushed -- We Need Some Targeted Hits -- Desperate Times -- When The Party's Over -- Eliminating The Problem -- Chasing A Poison -- Everything Old Is New Again -- The Fears Of The Super-rich -- Epilogue. Andrei Soldatov And Irina Borogan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The authors of The Red Web examine the shifting role of Russian expatriates throughout history, and their complicated, unbreakable relationship with the mother country—be it antagonistic or far too chummy. The history of Russian espionage is soaked in blood, from a spontaneous pistol shot that killed a secret policeman in Romania in 1924 to the attempt to poison an exiled KGB colonel in Salisbury, England, in 2017. Russian émigrés have found themselves continually at the center of the mayhem. Russians began leaving the country in big numbers in the late nineteenth century, fleeing pogroms, tsarist secret police persecution, and the Revolution, then Stalin and the KGB—and creating the third-largest diaspora in the world. The exodus created a rare opportunity for the Kremlin. Moscow's masters and spymasters fostered networks of spies, many of whom were emigrants driven from Russia. By the 1930s and 1940s, dozens of spies were in New York City gathering information for Moscow. But the story did not end with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some émigrés have turned into assets of the resurgent Russian nationalist state, while others have taken up the dissident challenge once more—at their personal peril. From Trotsky to Litvinenko, The Compatriots is the gripping history of Russian score-settling around the world. "Moscow-based journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan look at the complex, ever-shifting role of Russian emigreÌ#x81;s since the 1917 October Revolution to the present day. From secret agents to doomed dissidents, the story of Russian emigreÌ#x81;s is an invaluable angle through which to understand Russia in the modern world."-- Provided by publisher