Will Russia continue its vicious circle of upheaval and autocracy, or will its people find a way out of history? This is one of the questions that lies at the heart of Michaïl Sjisjkin latest book My Russia: War or Peace? Sjisjkin is one of contemporary Russian literature’s most celebrated writers. Together with him we will analyse the story behind Putin’s autocratic regime during this programme.
About My Russia: War of Peace
In My Russia: War or Peace? Michaïl Sjisjkin traces the roots of Russia’s problems, from the ‘Kievan Rus’ via the Grand Duchy of Moscow, empire, revolution and Cold War, to the now thirty-year-old Russian Federation. He explores the uneasy relationship between state and citizens, explains Russian attitudes to people’s rights and democracy, and proposes that there are really two Russian peoples: the disillusioned and disaffected, who suffer from ‘slave mentality’, and those who embrace ‘European’ values and try to stand up to oppression.
Sjisjkins letter in reaction to Navalny’s death (NL)
About Michaïl Sjisjkin
Michaïl Sjisjkin is a prominent author of fiction and essays. His work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Russian Booker, the National Bestseller Prize, the Big Book Prize, and, most recently, the Italian Strega Prize. He is a long-standing and outspoken critic of the Putin regime whose essays have been published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Le Monde, and elsewhere. Since 1995, he has lived and worked in Switzerland.
Sprekers
Ook in De Balie
Together with Steve Tsang, we discuss the origins and shortcomings of Xi Jinpings political beliefs.
Sasja Filipenko is a dissident writer and journalist from Belarus. For years, he presented a popular talk show in Russia, where he used satire to oppose Putin.
European Dialogue
The role of war reporters is key to bringing war and conflict to the public eye. During this evening, journalists will tackle the challenges that they are facing while reporting on conflicts such as in Ukraine and Gaza: how to retain the public’s interest in prolonged conflicts? How to decide what stories to cover?
