{"product_id":"the-closing-of-the-russian-mind-by-andrei-kolesnikov-9781509568154","title":"The Closing of the Russian Mind","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot so long ago, Russia under Putin appeared to be a corrupt state run by an elite mainly interested in their own privileges and wealth: authoritarian but not fundamentally expansionist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2022 invasion of Ukraine made it clear that Putin is driven by far more than simply greed. \u003ci\u003eThe Closing of the Russian Mind\u003c\/i\u003e by Andrei Kolesnikov argues that Putin's Russia is in the grip of intense ideological radicalisation, seeking to mobilise its population in support of a form of chauvinistic neo-imperialism using increasingly totalitarian methods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis march towards \"hybrid totalitarianism\" is driven by a messianic view of Russia as a superior, \"spiritual\" form of \"state-civilisation\" underpinned by its Orthodox faith and hatred of Western \"decadence.\" Based upon a falsified version of history and profound hostility to modernisation, this ideology is making Russia an international pariah and condemning its citizens to endless war and economic stagnation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe only hope for redemption is a profound moral regeneration which redefines the nation's place in the world and embraces the spirit of democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis incisive analysis of the ideological dynamics of late Putinism, written by a leading Russian scholar and journalist, is an indispensable guide to understanding the country's recent descent into war-mongering barbarism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47306959356140,"sku":"9781509568154","price":59.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/a1349db1b79acb6470cb3173003a1b94.jpg?v=1771099632","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-closing-of-the-russian-mind-by-andrei-kolesnikov-9781509568154","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}