I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country - Elena Kostyuchenko
Shared by:pwildnauer
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Format: M4B
Unabridged
To be a journalist is to tell the truth. I Love Russia is Elena Kostyuchenko’s unrelenting attempt to document her country as experienced by those whom it systematically and brutally erases: village girls recruited into sex work, queer people in the outer provinces, patients and doctors at a Ukrainian maternity ward, and reporters like herself.
Here is Russia as it is, not as we imagine it. The result is a singular portrait of a nation, and of a young woman who refuses to be silenced. In March 2022, as a correspondent for Russia’s last free press, Novaya Gazeta, Kostyuchenko crossed the border into Ukraine to cover the war. It was her mission to ensure that Russians witnessed the horrors Putin was committing in their name. She filed her pieces knowing that should she return home, she would likely be prosecutedand sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison. Yet, driven by the conviction that the greatest formof love and patriotism is criticism, she continues to write.
I Love Russia stitches together reportage from the past fifteen years with personal essays, assembling a kaleidoscopic narrative that Kostyuchenko understands may be the last work from her homeland that she’ll publish for a long time—perhaps ever. It exposes the inner workings of an entire nation as it descends into fascism and, inevitably, war. She writes because the threat of Putin’s Russia extends beyond herself, beyond Crimea, and beyond Ukraine. We fail to understand it at our own peril.
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| Creation Date: | Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:15:42 +0200 |
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| I Love Russia Reporting A.m4b 411.85 MBs | |
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This post has 35 comments with rating of 5/5
October 26th, 2023
As Joyce once said about Ireland, you can say about Russia - it’s a nation that eats its young.
October 26th, 2023
“horrors Putin was committing in their name”??
yeah, how about half a million soldiers that willingly and eagerly obey his commands?
how about the hatred of common russians towards Ukrainians in comments on social media and on interviews? and their belief that putin does everything correctly?
the MAJORITY of the country thinks like that, yet the westerners try to justify the war crimes, rapings, looting, civilian bombings saying it’s only putin’s fault
no, this the fault of at least half of that country’s population and they all should bear the consequences
October 26th, 2023
How about all those billions of dollars wasted on a war they were told they were going to lose. How bout conscripting all those unwilling citizen to die in a war everyone knows they can’t win. How about all those Azov Nazi’s and all those terrorists that blew up places in Russia. How about all the landmines that are left in that bombed out fascist country that won’t be holding election.
October 26th, 2023
Indeed, many neo-nazi organisations support & murder for Putin (as they did in Syria), in a war he can’t win. Also, his elections are all rigged & fundamental human rights are non-existent. Although, many Russians realise the truth, & many avoid the forced conscription. Maybe these good people can prevent Russia’s descent into fascism.
October 26th, 2023
The Neo-Nazis are in Eastern Ukraine. Russia hates Nazis.
October 26th, 2023
That notorious Putin prop was used to falsely “justify” Putin’s invasion, mass murders, human rights violations, & rape & torture of Ukrainian victims by implying that the Ukrainian people themselves are really to blame. Whereas the truth is that Russian units who took part in the invasion are themselves nazis & linked to neo-nazism, such as the Rusich Group & within the Wagner Group. Russian neo-nazis also played an important role among the Russian proxy forces in Donbas, & were in action against Syrians.
The Putin regime cultivated its own homegrown Nazis. Ukrainian state has protected minorities like Crimean Tatars & LGBTQ+ people, who are subject to brutal persecution in Russia. Neo-nazi Russian militias fight on behalf of Russia, in Ukraine & Syria. While some joined Russian mercenary companies - Wagner is best known - an unknown number joined, & trained under, Rusich, as well as the Russian Imperial Movement & its paramilitary unit, Russian Imperial Legion.
Milchakov, a former paratrooper, & avowed Nazi, has been identified as the co-leader of Rusich, along with Yan Petrovsky.
The neo-nazi Russian Imperial Movement has provided paramilitary-style training to white supremacists & neo-Nazis in Europe & works to rally these groups into a common front against their enemies. The movement has two training facilities in St. Petersburg, used for woodland & urban assault, tactical weapons, & hand-to-hand combat training.
Denis Gariyev, head of the neo-nazi Russian Imperial Movement, also created a related organisation called Reserve Squad, which received multimillion-dollar orders from the Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service, & Federal Protective Service, which is the Russian government agency charged with providing bodyguard protection to top Kremlin officials.
October 26th, 2023
Nazis are fascists by another name. In 1990, the USSR, China, and Vietnam were all “Communist” but each practiced their own version of it (and they are not necessarily ideologically aligned). Two of those Communist governments still exist after adopting some kind of capitalist integration and exist differently than they did then: one went full autocratic to no one’s surprise and the other is an ally and trading partner of the U.S. despite a “war” that killed them all forty years ago (according to official sources, called out by journalists that could count). What Russia is trying (dreaming) now is the same kind of autocracy that China has but not as successfully (as is the Russian way).
It’s hard to let go of history. Look no further than the Greeks twenty years ago when austerity became the big push and this proud people were told they had to do without the privileges they previously enjoyed…the same people who created the Greek pantheon and democracy and Western Civilization nearly three millennia ago. Russia has the same problem. They’ve always been told they were a great nation, a powerful nation, a nation the European countries walked on eggshells to not incur its wrath. Time and again, that’s proven to not be true; starting in 1905 when Japan defeated them in war and then their bungled deployment to a very brutal Eastern Front in the Great War (where they lost and the harsh treaty with Germany signed was the precursor to the Treaty of Versailles) and, left to their own, Stalingrad and its unimaginable devastation (even with the pictures, video, and eyewitness accounts) would have been the beginning of the end of Soviet Russia had the Western Front not taken up the resources the Nazis needed to keep pushing. And today, in Ukraine, where the world expected the full-force of the “mighty” Russian military to roll over the peasants in their quest for greatness again…but that’s not what happened. Yes, @abb9632, they hate Nazis but their ‘President’ and the oligarchs embrace fascism nonetheless. The Russian people, though, go about their daily lives outside of the politics. Whether Russia is fascist or democratic or autocratic or communist, it doesn’t change these day to day lives and what they, individually, find great about their country. It’s like when some American gets detained in Iran (or China or other some-such, there are a lot of places this happens) essentially because they’re American and then some diplomatic “get them home” theater plays out when…why the f*ck were you in Iran in the first place? Why are Americans in Gaza? They have dual citizenship or their families came from these countries or they were visiting family members…these people couldn’t help but find the good in places they shouldn’t be. When the world knew for two years that the U.S. would pull out of Afghanistan, why the f*ck were there still American civilians living there? They had lives and families? They thought the Taliban would just welcome them with open arms? The tragedy of the Afghan allies being left to their own is despicable and obviously not thought about prior to the first plane taking off but Americans? If they weren’t part of the evacuation plan, they shouldn’t have been there. I’m not sure if this is distinctly American (”I’ll go where I want and everyone will be happy!”) or not but it does boggle the mind.
Anyway, like caesar963 implies, there are good people in Russia (and probably Iran, China, and Gaza, too) and those good people have pride in the good things about their country. They deserve better leadership. Unfortunately, too many countries these days need better leadership and, whether by design or happenstance, the ones in power are cementing their ascension both with and without the help of the very people they govern making it harder every day (and election cycle) to elect change. In my country, gerrymandering will be the cause of uprising. As in the [simplistic] case of NASA’s pen and Russia’s pencil, Putin changes the laws he wants and pretends to run for election where in America, we go through the convoluted redesign of voting districts to get the results we want without it being sham elections. Everybody voted (-ish) and still the result was the same, using Wisconsin as an example where Republicans got 40% of the vote but 60% of the representation in the State Congress. You don’t have to make stuff up for American elections (The Indicted Former Guy not withstanding) and the legitimacy of them obfuscates their corruption. It maintains the illusion of power in the people even if it isn’t really that way anymore. You’ll be hard-pressed not to find an American, though, with outsized pride in their country and what it means to be an American (even in Wisconsin!). Be careful: those same Americans will also have a long list of why our country is failing so be prepared.
October 26th, 2023
Looks great. Thank you pwildnauer!
October 26th, 2023
Putin is no threat. He justs wants to protect Russia and for Russia to be left alone. For their great land area and natural resources, including oil and gas, the USA and Europe want to destroy Russia and control the valuable pieces. Very sad. The propaganda has worked on you people. You believe everything the evil empire says.
October 26th, 2023
Putin wants Russia to again be a hegemon, to dominate & control surrounding states. He doesn’t want neighbouring countries to be sovereign, he wants to determine the outcome of elections; so he will use any pretext (such as the “nazi” one repeated above; or the expedient “Sudetenlander” contrivance) to intervene or actually invade that country, & install a puppet regime.
The Putin prop of “US & Europe want to destroy you!” is also deployed by the regime in Russia; along with the “nazi” & “Sudetenlander” prop. Some “useful id!ots” - as in former decades - uncritically consume this obvious prop. Similar to to “the Jew & American are uniquely evil,” or “the Jew controls everything.”
It’s just standard operating procedure in undemocratic despotisms. Nothing to see here, as the man sez.
October 27th, 2023
USA wants a unipolar world. Russia refuses to be the USA’s b*tch like Europe and the UK. Putin wants a fair, multipolar world. But you’ll keep drinking the USA propaganda KoolAid.
October 27th, 2023
“Putin wants a fair, multipolar world” - Indeed he does. That’s why his regime invaded Ukraine (& Georgia before) - to murder, torture & rape their way to a “a fair, multipolar world.” It’s also why there are so many human rights violations & so much brutal discrimination against groups within Russia itself, in addition to suppression of democracy & civil, political, legal & constitutional rights.
Because Vlad wants “to Heal the World.”
♬ Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me, and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for you and for me ♬
October 27th, 2023
caesar, everyone you don’t like is a rapist torturer murderer. There was a quick, minor incident in Georgia. Putin did not “invade” Georgia. NATO pushing East forced action in the Ukraine. You are a overly wordy, arrogant mouthpiece of fiction.
October 27th, 2023
Do you ever reflect on the never ending military action of the USA? How many millions of innocent people have been killed?
October 27th, 2023
Oy. You didn’t know that rape & torture are actual weapons of war & oppression? That there have been extensive such appalling incidents since Putin invaded Ukraine? This is all news to you? That mass murder takes place? Where do you live, to be so innocent? Did education ever feature?
“There was a quick, minor incident in Georgia. Putin did not “invade”” —
The 2008 Russo-Georgian War was caused when Russia falsely accused Georgia of committing “genocide” & “aggression against South Ossetia” — & launched a full-scale land, air & sea invasion of Georgia, incl its undisputed territory, on 8 August, referring to it as a “peace enforcement” operation. Russian & South Ossetian forces fought Georgian forces in and around South Ossetia for several days, until Georgian forces retreated. Russian & Abkhaz forces opened a second front by attacking the Kodori Gorge held by Georgia. Russian naval forces blockaded part of the Georgian Black Sea coastline. The Russian air force attacked targets both within & beyond the conflict zone. This was the first war in history in which cyber warfare coincided with military action. An information war was also waged during & after the conflict. Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, personally negotiated a ceasefire of the war.
Ukraine is another sovereign country.
You certainly swallow a lot of, uh, fiction there, abby.
“Do u ever reflect on the never ending military action of USA?” - I do indeed.
Do you ever reflect on the brutal, oppressive military action of any state BUT the US? Vast despotisms in Asia, for inst?
October 27th, 2023
Who invades, occupies, and Freedom Bombs sovereign countries?
October 27th, 2023
Well, he invaded sovereign Ukraine (& Georgia) because he wants “a fair, multipolar world” (some lad told me, but I think he was dreamin’). I suppose he also sent the Freedom Bombs to Syria & Chechnya. I know a lady from Latvia, and I would scarcely be able to convey the fear & loathing Russia’s neighbours have of Putin & his imperial ambitions. It’s really been their condition in relation to Russia for over a century (& much of Russia’s own population, as we know).
Like China as the aspirant “hegemon” in the South China Sea. And their terrorisation of Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, their own people & the victims of the ongoing genocide. Not a lot of Freedom to be had.
October 27th, 2023
North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria — more bombs were dropped on Vietnam and neighboring countries than in all of WWII. Putin’s actions have been very very mild in comparison. And his actions were in border countries to stifle trouble. The USA bombs countries halfway around the world who pose no threat.
October 27th, 2023
The USA is by far the most warmongering nation in modern history and they bully Europe into assisting. They have killed millions of innocent civilians. Their actions cannot be defended and will be looked upon very harshly in the future when the USA is no longer the world’s bully. The USA will plead for mercy post collapse.
October 27th, 2023
Let’s not forget the harsh economic sanctions that the USA applies to every country that does not fall in line. Economic sanctions can be as deadly as bombs (just ask Iraq in the 90s.) Russia does not have the world’s reserve currency/petrodollar so they can’t impose such sanctions if they wanted to.
October 27th, 2023
China invaded Korea to aid the ideological regime in the North, which was invading the South. One genocidal regime supporting another. The people in the South didn’t want the genocidal ideology controlling them & required international assistance. Contrast North & South Korea thereafter. The North is a byword for political oppression, human rights abuses & economic failure (famine also, unfortunately). Whereas South Korea is one of the most successful countries in the world; educationally, medically, economically - on all the indicators. Would that this was all of Korea. A beautiful people.
Similarly, the people of South Vietnam did not want a genocidal ideology controlling them, they preferred democracy. It turned out to be a human catastrophe - one which did not end with the Paris Peace Accords. American funding was withdrawn, the North Vietnamese invaded & promptly committed another genocide, resulting in an enormous flight of refugees from Vietnam.
Laos was caught up in the war when the North Vietnamese invaded in order to illegally operate supply lines & vectors of attack.
Cambodia was taken over by another genocidal ideological regime, led by Pol Pot. The Chinese regime supported him & the Killing Fields resulted - more genocide.
Afghanistan was also invaded by Russia (as was Eastern Europe) - the Russians in the prosecution of their war killed more than 2 million Afghans. They were then forced to withdraw.
At least the Russian failure in Afghanistan helped to collapse the evil Soviet Empire, leading to the freedom of Eastern Europe.
Now Russia has Vlad - & his Freedom Bombs, as you term them; together with his burning desire for “a fair, multipolar world”.
Iraq had decades of Saddam, his wars, invasions & ruthless oppression - including his use of poison gas against the Kurds.
Libya had Gaddafi’s brutal regime, disappearances, torture chambers & his sponsoring of terror. A dictator truly to be missed.
And Syria has the genocidal Assad regime (generations of it, in point of fact) - being savagely propped up by Putin’s Freedom Bombs - & Russians using Syrian people for target practice, including Russian neo-nazi shooters.
I’m sure all the victims of Putin’s unnecessary imperial wars are intensely grateful for his “mildness.”
“his actions were in border countries to stifle trouble” - And where precisely is Russia’s border with Syria? Do tell.
“stifle trouble” - Could you define this, as it is also the essential pretext used by the nazis when they Czechoslovakia, Austria, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece, etc. etc.
Those Sudetenlander card again, you see.
War is indeed a terrible thing - whoever prosecutes it. Or maybe just when America does it, you’re probably right.
October 27th, 2023
Spasiba.
October 27th, 2023
Wow, so many comments. I agree with @abb9632.
@caesar963, as always, sees only bad things about Russia.
October 27th, 2023
Fck rusia!
October 27th, 2023
@mytmpmail - No, as you can see, in my very first comment I said: Although, many Russians realise the truth, & many avoid the forced conscription. Maybe these good people can prevent Russia’s descent into fascism.
Some of my favourite writers & thinkers were Russian.
Hopefully, Russia’s natural genius can prevail.
October 27th, 2023
This book is so far removed from reality it’s almost complete fiction.
If even a small portion of adults revolted, the country would change overnight. Instead they follow the leader and do nothing
October 27th, 2023
The Putin regime is very ruthless in suppressing any movements for democratic liberties, rule of law or fundamental human rights. People are jailed - by the regime, of course; they all of a sudden are poisoned or die in accidents/crashes/explosions. Tough to get off the ground, at least while this despotic regime persists.
November 12th, 2023
Important and necessary book.
I will seed for as long as I can.
November 12th, 2023
Oh, yes. I decided to seed after I read the trolls.
Thank you for your patience, caesar963!
November 12th, 2023
I forgot to rate!
November 22nd, 2023
Putin just sells Russians stolen lands and delusions of grandeur for their support. It’s mutual agreement.
October 4th, 2025
could anyone seed, please?
October 16th, 2025
it’s alive but really slow😭 like 13 years slow
March 11th, 2026
Can anyone seed, please?
April 17th, 2026
Thank you to whoever seeded again. I’ll keep it for a year.
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