Petra Rethmann. Russia: Anthropological Insights. North York, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2018

Abstract

This book is a long-awaited introductory text covering Russian history, politics, and culture through a distinctively anthropological lens. It is intended for undergraduates with no prior knowledge of the country and focuses on the public and political life of contemporary Russian society. Deliberately short, the text is divided into seven chapters. The chapters are prefaced by a six-page introduction and followed by a glossary, bibliography, and index. Each chapter follows a no-nonsense scheme, beginning with a "brief history" overview of the respective theme, which is then developed further in a general discussion and more detailed description of an "ethnographic close-up." DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2019-11-2-159-161