In Putin's Footsteps

Searching for the Soul of an Empire Across Russia's Eleven Time Zones

By: Nina Khrushcheva, Jeffrey Tayler

Narrated by: Kathleen Gati

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

In Putin’s Footsteps is Nina Khrushcheva and Jeffrey Tayler’s unique combination of travelogue, current affairs, and history, showing how Russia’s dimensions have shaped its identity and culture through the decades.

With exclusive insider status as Nikita Khrushchev’s great grand-daughter, and an ex-pat living and reporting on Russia and the Soviet Union since 1993, Nina Khrushcheva and Jeffrey Tayler offer a poignant exploration of the largest country on Earth through their recreation of Vladimir Putin’s fabled New Year’s Eve speech planned across all 11 time zones.

After taking over from Yeltsin in 1999, and then being elected president in a landslide, Putin traveled to almost two dozen countries and a quarter of Russia’s 89 regions to connect with ordinary Russians. His travels inspired the idea of a rousing New Year’s Eve address delivered every hour at midnight throughout Russia’s eleven time zones. The idea was beautiful, but quickly abandoned as an impossible feat. He correctly intuited, however, that the success of his presidency would rest on how the country’s outback citizens viewed their place on the world stage.

Today more than ever, Putin is even more determined to present Russia as a formidable nation. We need to understand why Russia has for centuries been an adversary of the West. Its size, nuclear arsenal, arms industry, and scientific community (including cyber-experts), guarantees its influence.

©2019 Nina Khrushcheva and Jeffrey Tayler (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Song lyrics from “Land of Bones and Ice” in chapter 11 © Vladimir Vysotsky, reprinted by permission of the Estate of V. Vysotsky (translated 2019 by Nina Khrushcheva).

Not much meat on the bone

This is a travel narrative through Russia's 11 time zones. It touches on historical wrongs and other criticisms but only superficially. There's some whitewashing of Khrushchev's role as well.

Revelatory

Provided an understanding of Russia past and present. Coverage of various regions was exceptional and interesting.

Informative, entertaining and analytical

I did not have high expectations: I was hoping for an intelligent travelogue with some historical perspective.
It is that, but it's also much, much more. The book offers an analytical view that seems objective and not gratuitously critical. The historical context is presented not as a matter of course, professorially, but when it really helps to understand the present. And the book also aims to entertain: Americans traveling in Russia, what could possibly go wrong? Never mind that both authors are experienced and knowledgeable Russia experts, on may occasions, they're just tourists...
I listened to a few chapters more than once to really understand the nuances of the text. I highly recommend the book to lay and experts alike.

Giod story, not so good narrator

This book gives a lot of insight into the vast differences within Russia. One learns about the very different priorities and mindsets of people from Kaliningrad to Tyumen to Novosibirsk and to Ulan-Ude. Rather than being a typical academic political-science-kind-of-a-book, it offers a quick peek into the life of a handful (seemingly randomly chosen) ordinary Russians in each time zone that they visit. One does get a feeling that they had to rush to finish the book, though, because the last couple of chapters didn’t really have that much information at all.

Still, overall this is a book worth getting. Even though the narrator was “not good, not terrible”.

Up to date assessment of Russia in 2019

Author examines the continued rule of Vladimir Putin and his continued hold on power. She holds a spotlight on the plight of ordinary Russians and why they are resigned to corruption at all levels. A travel narrative, it explores beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg.