‘TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN . . .’ On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union begins its countdown. From the steppes of Kazakhstan, the first human – Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – launches into space.
In that moment, another countdown begins. How could it be that a single generation – just three decades – would separate the USSR’s crowning achievement from the collapse of the Soviet empire?
More than a history lesson, The Dark Side of the Earth is a testament to the enduring fight for truth and freedom. In pursuit of the real story, renowned Kremlin opponent Mikhail Zygar (‘one of Russia’s smartest and best-sourced young journalists’ – New York Times) gathered witness statements of jaw-dropping candour from hundreds of key players: the last first secretaries and first presidents of the post-Soviet republics, the leaders of independence movements, Western politicians and diplomats, and Mikhail Gorbachev himself, not to mention dozens of scientists, authors, film directors, aspiring rockstars and ordinary men and women who for a time became the accidental protagonists of history.
The end of the USSR set the stage for today’s vengeful return. But as Gagarin looked down from the stars at his home world, was Russia’s fate already written?
In that moment, another countdown begins. How could it be that a single generation – just three decades – would separate the USSR’s crowning achievement from the collapse of the Soviet empire?
More than a history lesson, The Dark Side of the Earth is a testament to the enduring fight for truth and freedom. In pursuit of the real story, renowned Kremlin opponent Mikhail Zygar (‘one of Russia’s smartest and best-sourced young journalists’ – New York Times) gathered witness statements of jaw-dropping candour from hundreds of key players: the last first secretaries and first presidents of the post-Soviet republics, the leaders of independence movements, Western politicians and diplomats, and Mikhail Gorbachev himself, not to mention dozens of scientists, authors, film directors, aspiring rockstars and ordinary men and women who for a time became the accidental protagonists of history.
The end of the USSR set the stage for today’s vengeful return. But as Gagarin looked down from the stars at his home world, was Russia’s fate already written?
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Reviews
In Zygar's book, it's people who take center stage, not messiahs; individual characters, not abstract nations. We see that it wasn't dictators who saved the world from apocalypse, but humanists. And the contrast with today's rulers makes the book all the more bitter and revealing. And yes, it's brilliantly written - with a lively, sparkling wit
I love books that tell the story of an entire country through the intimate, everyday lives of its people - both famous and unknown. Mikhail Zygar is one of the most thoughtful Russian writers of our time, and behind every page lies meticulous, painstaking work. You may think you know how it all ends, but still, you simply can't put it down
Zygar is one of the most brilliant observers of contemporary Russia. He is both a protagonist in his country's recent history and a skilled analyst of its politics. The Dark Side of the Earth showcases his unique perspectives, and considerable talent for vivid storytelling as he looks back at the collapse of the Soviet Union. This is also a deeply personal story, which makes for a particularly powerful narrative and a profoundly moving book
An idiosyncratic, insightful account of both the end of the Soviet Union and the rise of Putinism - a useful and timely reminder of how closely these two forms of dictatorship are connected