Books like Putinskai︠a︡ Rossii︠a︡ by Anna Politkovskaya

Journalist Masha Gessen follows the lives of four people born at what promised to be the dawn of democracy. Each of them came of age with unprecedented expectations, some as the children and grandchildren of the very architects of the new Russia, each with newfound aspirations of their own as entrepreneurs, activists, thinkers, and writers, sexual and social beings. Gessen charts their paths against the machinations of the regime that would crush them all, and against the war it waged on understanding itself, which ensured the unobstructed reemergence of the old Soviet order in the form of today's terrifying and seemingly unstoppable mafia state.

A Russian Diary is Anna Politkovskaya’s candid, unflinching record of life in Russia from the 2003 parliamentary elections through the 2005 Beslan school siege, exposing corruption, state‑censorship, and the human cost of Vladimir Putin’s rule.

Since The New Cold War was first published in February 2008, Russia has become more authoritarian and corrupt, its institutions are weaker, and reforms have fizzled. In this revised and updated edition, Lucas includes a new preface on the Crimean crisis, including analysis of the dismemberment of Ukraine, and a look at the devastating effects it may have from bloodshed to economic losses. Lucas reveals the asymmetrical relationship between Russia and the West, a result of the fact that Russia is prepared to use armed force whenever necessary, while the West is not. Hard-hitting and powerful, The New Cold War is a sobering look at Russia's current aggression and what it means for the world.--Publisher's description.

With the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia launched itself on a fitful transition to Western-style democracy. But a decade later, Yeltsin's handpicked successor resolved to bring an end to the revolution. This book goes behind the scenes of contemporary Russia to reveal the culmination of Project Putin, the secret plot to reconsolidate power in the Kremlin. During their four years as Moscow bureau chiefs for The Washington Post, the authors witnessed the methodical campaign to transform Russia back into an authoritarian state. Their narrative moves from the unlikely rise of Putin through the key moments of his tenure that re-centralized power into his hands. But the authors also portray the Russian people they encountered--both those who have prospered and those barely surviving--and show how the political flux has shaped individual lives. -- From publisher description.

A detailed journey across Russia and former Soviet republics, in which journalist Ben Judah interviews Putin’s allies, adversaries, officials, business magnates, mob figures, and everyday citizens to examine Vladimir Putin’s rise and its impact on Russian society.