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'''''Putin's Russia''''' is a book by Russian journalist ]. It tells about people's lives in ] under President ]. '''''Putin's Russia''''' is a non-fiction book by Russian journalist ]. It tells about people's lives in ] under President ].


==Contents== ==Contents==
In the book Politkovskaya tells about transformation of ] to ] under leadership of ] and suffering of ordinary people. She describes an army in which conscripts are tortured and hired out as slaves. She describes rampant corruption in the government and judiciary. She condemns routine kidnappings, murders, rape, and torture of people in ] by Russian military, exemplified by ]. She describes hardship of people from the Provinces of Russua, such as ] region and ] and accounts of hostages from the ]. She accuses Vladimir Putin of stifling all civil liberties to establish Soviet-style dictatorship, but tells that "it is we who are responsible for Putin's policies" in the conclusion: "''Society has shown limitless apathy... As the Chekists have become entrenched in power, we have let them see our fear, and thereby have only intensified their urge to treat us like cattle. The KGB respects only the strong. The weak it devours. We of all people ought to know that''". {{Fact|date=February 2007}} In the book Politkovskaya tells about transformation of ] to ] under leadership of ] and suffering of ordinary people. She describes an army in which conscripts are tortured and hired out as slaves. She describes rampant corruption in the government and judiciary. She condemns routine kidnappings, murders, rape, and torture of people in ] by Russian military, exemplified by ]. She describes hardship of people from the Provinces of Russua, such as ] region and ] and accounts of hostages from the ]. She accuses Vladimir Putin of stifling all civil liberties to establish Soviet-style dictatorship, but tells that "it is we who are responsible for Putin's policies" in the conclusion:
{{cquote|Society has shown limitless apathy... As the Chekists have become entrenched in power, we have let them see our fear, and thereby have only intensified their urge to treat us like cattle. The KGB respects only the strong. The weak it devours. We of all people ought to know that.}}

==Critisism==
Critics accused ] of being partisan by concentrating on the activities of Russian federal forces, but her supporters claim that she also strongly criticised the brutal tactics of the terrorists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1890481,00.html|title=Assassin's Bullet Kills Fiery Critic of Putin|author=Parfitt, Tom|publisher=The Observer|date=2006-10-08|accessdate=2006-10-09}}</ref> She was also blamed for unwillingness to check facts before reporting them if she felt they furthered her cause.<ref name=Arutiunian> ] N39 2006 </ref>

According to journalist Anna Arutunyan, 'During a reporting trip in 2001, Politkovskaya was detained by military officials in the Chechen village of Hotuni. When she was released, she wrote that she had uncovered pits dug out in the ground where military officials would allegedly keep Chechen hostages for ransom, directly accusing General Baranov, then commander of the Chechen federal troops, of these crimes. The publication was followed by a criminal investigation based on the allegations, but a delegation of official human rights envoys was unable to find any such pits. At a later press conference in Moscow, Politikovskaya admitted that she had never actually seen the pits herself, but that witnesses related seeing them to her. In another account she had said the ransoms was $150, while in another - $500'.<ref name=Arutiunian> ] N39 2006 </ref>

Another telling example was Politkovskaya's recent allegations that special forces were preparing an "escape" for jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in the course of which he was to be killed. Her source was a retired KGB officer who had served time in the camps. While the article was published in Novaya Gazeta this spring, these allegations went nowhere.<ref name=Arutiunian> ] N39 2006 </ref>

Hence, Politkovskaya was primarily viewed as an activist rather than reporter. When terrorists held an auditorium hostage during the Nov. 2002 production of Nord-Ost, she spoke to the hostage takers and made their demands public. In Sept. 2004, terrorist in the Beslan school siege had also demanded her presence.<ref name=Arutiunian> ] N39 2006 </ref>

Against this backdrop, it would seem that despite a brave and sincere commitment to unraveling corruption and atrocities wherever possible, Politkovskaya's priorities as a journalist focused more on accusing and less on reporting. <ref name=Arutiunian> ] N39 2006 </ref>


== External links == == External links ==
*, Review of the book by Martha Mercer, ]
* on English PEN web site
*, Review of the book by Martha Mercer, ] *, Review of the book by Angus Macqueen, ]
* on English PEN web site


==References== ==References==
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{{poli-book-stub}}

] ]

Revision as of 22:53, 21 February 2007

Putin's Russia is a non-fiction book by Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. It tells about people's lives in Russia under President Vladimir Putin.

Contents

In the book Politkovskaya tells about transformation of Russia to police state under leadership of Vladimir Putin and suffering of ordinary people. She describes an army in which conscripts are tortured and hired out as slaves. She describes rampant corruption in the government and judiciary. She condemns routine kidnappings, murders, rape, and torture of people in Chechnya by Russian military, exemplified by Yuri Budanov. She describes hardship of people from the Provinces of Russua, such as Ural region and Kamchatka Peninsula and accounts of hostages from the Dubrovka theater. She accuses Vladimir Putin of stifling all civil liberties to establish Soviet-style dictatorship, but tells that "it is we who are responsible for Putin's policies" in the conclusion:

Society has shown limitless apathy... As the Chekists have become entrenched in power, we have let them see our fear, and thereby have only intensified their urge to treat us like cattle. The KGB respects only the strong. The weak it devours. We of all people ought to know that.

External links

References


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