When Russia Did Democracy (Paperback)

Kenneth MacInnes

ISBN 10: 1398125504 / ISBN 13: 9781398125506

Published by Amberley Publishing, Chalford, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. When Lenin and the Bolsheviks shut down the Constituent Assembly after only one session, it was said to mark the end of Russia's one-day experiment with democracy. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, a true period of democracy was ushered in - creating a strange world scarcely believable when viewed from the era of Vladimir Putin. A fascinated witness of Russian politics, Kenneth MacInnes lived in the country through this unique and exciting era. His book not only chronicles this ten-year period, but also reveals all the other times in history when Russia led the world in democratic freedoms and popular representation. During the Middle Ages, the republic of Novgorod was the world's largest democracy. The national parliament established by Ivan the Terrible elected tsars, while the Russian Empire was the first place in Europe where women voted in local and national elections. In 1917, the Provisional Government passed the freest electoral law ever written. This book covers everything from the popular democratic struggles of 1612 and 1991 to the local 'republics' set up during wars, revolutions and foreign invasions. It describes how Lenin and Stalin stood in democratic elections, the day Yeltsin's tanks bombed parliament, the history of 'Western interference' in Russian polls - and why Putin has such a deep aversion to free ballots. New paperback edition - Between the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the new millennium, Russia went through a unique moment genuine democracy. Fascinating book Kenneth MacInnes explores not just the 1990s when he lived and worked in Russia but the entire history of Russian democracy, from the earliest days right up to President Putin. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781398125506

Bibliographic Details

• Title: When Russia Did Democracy (Paperback)
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing, Chalford
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1398125504
• ISBN 13: 9781398125506
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

When Lenin and the Bolsheviks shut down the Constituent Assembly after only one session, it was said to mark the end of Russia’s one-day experiment with democracy. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, a true period of democracy was ushered in – creating a strange world scarcely believable when viewed from the era of Vladimir Putin. A fascinated witness of Russian politics, Kenneth MacInnes lived in the country through this unique and exciting era. His book not only chronicles this ten-year period, but also reveals all the other times in history when Russia led the world in democratic freedoms and popular representation.
During the Middle Ages, the republic of Novgorod was the world’s largest democracy. The national parliament established by Ivan the Terrible elected tsars, while the Russian Empire was the first place in Europe where women voted in local and national elections. In 1917, the Provisional Government passed the freest electoral law ever written.This book covers everything from the popular democratic struggles of 1612 and 1991 to the local ‘republics’ set up during wars, revolutions and foreign invasions. It describes how Lenin and Stalin stood in democratic elections, the day Yeltsin’s tanks bombed parliament, the history of ‘Western interference’ in Russian polls – and why Putin has such a deep aversion to free ballots.

About the Author

Kenneth MacInnes lived and worked in Russia for two decades, from Gorbachev to Putin. He has translated 350 books, read papers at history conferences, investigated art crimes and defended himself against the Russian navy in a court martial. Returning to Britain, he worked for the UK Parliament in London and wrote articles for national newspapers.