Maxim Trudolyubov

Kennan Institute / Meduza
Most recent fellowship dates
-

Fellowships

Fellowships
-
Program

Maxim Trudolyubov is working on a book that aims to study a crisis of humanity involving the transformation of individuals into insensitive “strangers” to the horrors of war, arbitrary rule, and repression. In such circumstances, some do more than just grow thick skin. They seek to rationalize and justify their tolerance of the most appalling acts of inhumanity. Focusing primarily on Russian society, but not confined to it, this book examines how supporting a war, not just Russia's war, has become a means to demonstrate loyalty, maintain high status, and amass wealth. This is also the tale of a generation whose formative years coincided with Gorbachev’s perestroika but whose maturity allowed it to embrace the cynicism and duplicity of the Putin era.

This Fellowship is part of the Progressive Int. Initiative.

-
Program
Do Russians want their country to be a power feared by other nations or a land whose primary concern is its citizens well-being? Choosing over prosperity brings with it the type of social contract the Soviet government used to impose on its citizens: The enemy is at the gate, and we all have to hunker down. But do we really have to make this choice? The choice between "greatness" on the world stage and domestic prosperity is a false one.