Review by Choice Review
Most Western scholars (with some notable exceptions) emphasized non-Russian nationalisms in the last two decades of the USSR's existence, largely ignoring the Russian variety until very late in the game. Brudny (Harriman Institute, Columbia) shows that Russian cultural nationalism was a powerful force in the post-Stalin years, with ultimate political consequences. In meticulous detail Brudny sets out the various strains of Russian nationalism and points to the regime's encouragement of a certain kind of nationalism as a means of bolstering legitimacy through the "politics of inclusion." This policy was abandoned in 1982 with the accession of Andropov, but by that time Russian nationalism had become a force to be reckoned with. It was not, however, strong enough to become an independent movement and was reduced to following the antireform, anti-Gorbachev elements in the Communist Party. The long-range significance of radical Russian nationalism, in Brudny's view, lay in its influence on political dialogue and the attitudes of major political actors in the 1990s. This volume is a significant contribution to the literature. A complementary work on the late Soviet years is Vladislav Krasnov, Russia beyond Communism (CH, Feb'92). Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. R. J. Mitchell University of New Orleans
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
