Böcker i Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series-serien

As Central Asia and the adjacent territory become more important to the world, there is increasing interest in the region from international powers. This book considers economic, political, social and security developments, and examines the region's connections with Russia, China, Europe and the United States. Above all the book examines the concept of "Eurasia" and discusses how far the dynamics of the region are likely to lead to regional integration. The book argues that, although regional integration ought to be an appealing idea, with potential for economic benefits and increased international influence, in practice recent attempts at re-integration have not been very successful.

This book assesses the quality of democracy in Poland from the collapse of communism in 1989 up to the 2011 parliamentary election. It presents an in-depth, empirically grounded study comparing two decades of democratic politics. Drawing on democratic theory and comparative politics, the book puts forward an evaluation of democracy based on four dimensions: representation, participation, competition and accountability. 　The book is an important contribution to debates on the performance of the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe, where some scholars argue that there is a ‘democratic crisis’, that, after a period of democratic progress, most of these countries are experiencing democratic fatigue and that their democratic performance is poor. However, the Polish case shows that democracy is not in crisis - in fact, the quality of democracy in Poland has improved. 　The book shows that democratic quality stems from good democratic institutions. Moreover, the Polish case shows useful lessons that can be learnt by democratic reformers in countries that are undergoing the transition to democracy or are aiming to consolidate their democratic systems. It concludes that effective accountability, good representation and stable competition are vital.

This book traces the development of EU-Russia relations in recent years. It argues that a major factor influencing the relationship is the changing internal dynamics of both parties, in RussiaΓÇÖs case an increasingly authoritarian state, in the case of the EU an increasing coherence in its foreign policy as applied to former Soviet countries which Russia regarded as interference in its own sphere. The book considers the impact of conflicts in Kosovo, Chechnya, Georgia and Ukraine, discusses the changing internal situation in both Russia and the EU, including the difficulties in overcoming fragmentation in EU policy-making, and concludes by assessing how the situation is likely to develop.

This book tells the untold story of how ordinary Russian people experienced and coped with RussiaΓÇÖs transformations after the end of communism. Unlike most studies of the subject which focus on high politics, developments in the elite and events at the centre, this book, which includes findings from interviews, memoirs, public opinion surveys and press articles and documents from the regions, portrays a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional society with different groups affected by the deep and varied changes in diverse and different ways. The book covers economic developments, social changes, how official policies played out at the grass-roots level, the psychological impact of the changes and the impact on public opinion, and how different regions were affected differently. Overall, the book reveals the hidden dynamics of Russian society, including its formal and informal mechanisms and rules for relating to the state and other citizens, and shows how millions of Russians coped, despite all the odds, and maintained the integrity and stability of the country.

Cities are constructed and organized by people, and in turn become an important factor in the organization of human life. They are sites of both social encounter and social division and provide for their inhabitants ΓÇ£a sense of placeΓÇ¥. This book explores the nature of Russian cities, outlining the role played by various Russian cities over time. It focuses on a range of cities including provincial cities, considering both physical, iconic, created cities, and also cities as represented in films, fiction and other writing. Overall, the book provides a rich picture of the huge variety of Russian cities.

The idea that socialism could be established in a single country was adopted as an official doctrine by the Soviet Union in 1925, led by Stalin and Bukharin. Before this many had thought that socialism could only be secured on a wider scale, across all Europe or wider still. The book traces the debate from Plato onwards, arguing that although the prevailing view is that socialism was only considered possible if it was universal, in fact "socialism in one country" also had long roots.

This book adopts a novel analytical approach to understanding how Russia's stalled democratisation is related to the incomplete liberalisation of the economy. Based on extensive original comparative study of Russiäs regions, the book explores the precise channels of interaction that create the mutuality of property rights, entrepreneurship, rule of law, norms of citizenship and liberal democracy. It demonstrates that the extent of democratisation varies across regions, and that this variation is connected to the extent of liberalisation of the economy.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese migration to the countries of the former Soviet bloc ¿ Russia, Eastern Europe and countries of Central Asia ¿ exploring how the migration has come about, discussing the motivation of the migrants and examining the significant contribution the migrants are making.

Under communism there was, in the countries of Eastern Europe, a high level of gender equality in the labour market, particularly in terms of high participation rates by women. The transition from communism has upset this situation, with different impacts in the different countries. This book presents a comprehensive overview of gender and the labour market since the fall of communism in a wide range of Eastern European countries. Each country chapter describes the nature of inequality in the particular country, and goes on to examine the factors responsible for this, including government policies, changing social attitudes, levels of educational attainment and the impact of motherhood. Overall, the book provides an interesting comparison to the situation in Western developed countries, outlining differences and similarities. No one single Eastern European model emerges while, as in Western developed countries, a range of experiences and trends is the norm.

Russia has a very large pool of economic migrants, up to 25% of the workforce according to some estimates. Although many migrants, many from former Soviet countries which are now independent, entered Russia legally, they frequently face bureaucratic obstacles to legal employment and Russian citizenship, factors which have led to a very large ΓÇ£shadow economyΓÇ¥. This book presents a comprehensive examination of migrant labour in Russia. It describes the nature of migrant labour, explores the shadow economy and its unfortunate consequences, and discusses the rise of popular sentiment against migrants and the likely impact. The book also sets the Russian experiences of migrant labour in context, comparing the situation in Russia with that in other countries with significant migrant labour workforces.

Among the many successes of the Soviet Union were inaugural space flightΓÇöahead of the United StatesΓÇöand many other triumphs related to aviation. Aviators and cosmonauts enjoyed heroic status in the Soviet Union, and provided supports of the Soviet project with iconic figures which could be used to bolster the regimeΓÇÖs visions, self-confidence, and the image of itself as forward looking and futuristic. This book explores how the themes of aviation and space flight have been depicted in film, animation, art, architecture, and digital media. Incorporating many illustrations, the book covers a wide range of subjects, including the representations of heroes, the construction of myths, and the relationship between visual art forms and Soviet/Russian culture and society.

This book explores the emergence, and in Poland, Hungary, and Russia the coming to power, of politicians and political parties rejecting the consensus around market reforms, democratisation, and rule of law that has characterised moves towards an "open society" from the 1990s.

This book presents a comprehensive view of the state of the Russian economy under President Putin. Overall, the book provides a basis for understanding what has been going on in the Russian economy under President Putin and what the future may look like.

Contemporary Russia and other post-Soviet states have become increasingly hostile towards the LGBT community with the introduction of laws restricting their rights and an increase in homophobic violence. This book explores how this has happened and provides a wealth of detail on this subject whilst also assessing how LGBT subjects are responding.

This book explores the function of the ¿everyday¿ in the formation, consolidation and performance of national, sub-national and local identities in the former socialist region. It demonstrates how the study of mundane practices is a meaningful way of understanding the socio-political processes of identity formation at every level of a sta

This book explores the portrayal of women in Soviet films of the 1950s to 1970s, during which time a large number of films featured complex female characters who went beyond the stereotypical women of Soviet realism.

This book explores a new character archetype that permeated Soviet film during what became known as the era of Stagnation, a stark period of loneliness, disappointment, and individual despair.

This book explores how queerness and representations of queerness in media and culture are responding to the shifting socio-political, cultural and legal conditions in post-Soviet Russia, especially in the light of the so-called "anti-gay" law of 2013.

The purpose of this book is to move beyond the approach which views energy as a purely geopolitical tool of the Russian state and assumes a 'one size fits all' approach to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) energy security.

Cities are constructed and organized by people, and in turn become an important factor in the organization of human life. They are sites of both social encounter and social division and provide for their inhabitants ¿a sense of place¿.

The Russian Far North is immensely rich in resources, both energy and other resources, and is also one of the least developed regions of Russia. This book presents a comprehensive overview of the region and how it is likely to develop in future.

This book examines the ways in which Russia and Belarus use disinformation, "weaponised" historical narratives, and the politics of memory for domestic and foreign policy purposes, utilising these factors to justify aggressive foreign policy in defensive terms.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Armenian-held enclave within Azerbaijan.