This spring Putin may have won the election, but the past year has revealed a vocal opposition, with rallies the likes of which Russia hasn't seen since 1991 and a whole genre of dark commentary about the leader. Images and videos comparing Putin to Brezhnev or the Czar are still circulating on Facebook; thoughtful opponents to the current government are creating a space for resistance. Masha Gessen, in her courageous
The Man Without a Face, The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin, describes the events of the ongoing Putin era with sobering clarity. You can check out my review of Gessen's book in the July issue of
Open Letters Monthly.
