Newburyport Public Library

Black square, adventures in Post-Soviet Ukraine, Sophie Pinkham

eng

Includes bibliographical references

maps

no index present

non fiction

Black square

bibliography

937452280

Sophie Pinkham

adventures in Post-Soviet Ukraine

"This captivating and original narrative blends politics, history, and reportage in a street-level account of a vexing and troubled region. In the tradition of Elif Batuman and Ian Frazier, Black Square presents an evocative, multidimensional portrait of Ukrainian life under the shadow of Putin. In vivid, original prose, Sophie Pinkham draws us into the fascinating lives of her contemporaries--a generation that came of age after the fall of the USSR, only to see protestors shot on Kiev's main square, Maidan; Crimea annexed by Russia; and a bitter war in eastern Ukraine. Amid the rubble, Pinkham tells stories that convey a youth culture flourishing within a tragically corrupt state. We meet a charismatic, drug-addicted doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy, a Bolano-esque art gallerist prone to public nudity, and a Russian Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. With a deep knowledge of Slavic literature and a keen, outsider's eye for the dark absurdity of post-Soviet society, Pinkham delivers an indelible impression of a country on the brink."--Provided by publisher

New worlds -- The Paris of Siberia -- Resurrection -- City of gardens, city of ravines -- Men's day -- Living together -- Buckwheat and rye -- Carpathian cowboys -- The people's music -- The last Jew in Stalindorf -- The kingdom of the dead -- Revolution -- Dreaming of Europe -- Are you alive, brother -- Masks and monuments -- Reunion -- The wild steppe -- War and peace -- Heroes don't die -- Crashing -- New Year in Kiev -- Rocket city -- Victory day -- A note on sources

Adventures in post-Soviet Ukraine