In his introduction, Alexander V. Obolonsky notes that Russian 
history and life are full of paradoxes, most of them sad. Why, he 
asks, have the Russians, who possess enormous natural, human, 
and intellectual resources and a great literary and scientific 
heritage, proven unable to realize their great potential? 
	
Obolonsky has undertaken the formidable task of reinterpreting 
Russian history from the Time of Troubles and the reign of Ivan the 
Terrible through the end of 2001. Through a careful reconsideration of 
Russia's past, he seeks to assess the social and political realities 
that will shape the future.

Obolonsky structures his analytic narrative around two concepts—a 
system in which individuals are viewed as "cogs" functioning for the 
sake of the whole, and a liberal person—centered paradigm in which 
society seeks to promote the development of the individual. In doing 
so, he challenges standard interpretations regarding Russia, the 
USSR, the role of political leaders, and the Russian people.

Students of Russian history, politics, and culture, and those 
interested in the broader issues of twentieth-century society, will 
find this informative magnum opus insightful and thought-provoking.

_________________________________________________________

ALEXANDER V. OBOLONSKY is a researcher at the Institute of State 
and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This volume is a 
substantially revised, English version of a highly regarded book that 
provoked much domestic controversy upon its publication in Russia in 
1994.


Number Nineteen: Eastern European Studies