Black Square: Adventures in Post-Soviet Ukraine

Each time Ukraine has rebuilt itself over the last century, it has been plagued by the same conflicts: corruption, poverty, and, most of all, Russian aggression. Sophie Pinkham saw all this and more during ten years in Ukraine and Russia, a period that included the Maidan revolution of 2013-14, Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the ensuing war in Donbass.

With a keen eye for the dark absurdities of post-Soviet society, Pinkham presents a dynamic account of contemporary Ukrainian life. She meets--among others--a charismatic doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy even as he struggles with drug dependence; a band of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian hippies in a Crimean idyll; and a Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. These fascinating personalities, rendered in a bold, original style, deliver an indelible impression of a country on the brink.

Black Square is necessary reading for anyone who wishes to learn the roots of the current Russo-Ukrainian war and the stories of the people who live it every day.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 11/01/2016
ISBN: 9780393247978
Pages: 304
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.30w x 1.10d

Review Citations: Library Journal 09/01/2016 pg. 129
Booklist 10/01/2016 pg. 13
Publishers Weekly 10/03/2016
Kirkus Reviews 10/01/2016