Quarter of a century ago today, the attempted coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev by hard-liners within the Communist Party came to an ignominious end for the plotters. Although the putsch had failed, it fatally undermined Gorbachev’s authority. With hindsight, it is clear that it also hastened the collapse of the USSR.
This seems to be a very appropriate moment to recommend Geoffrey Hosking’s 6-part 1988 BBC Reith Lecture series, The Rediscovery of Politics, not least because it’s a fantastic resource for putting the events described above in some kind of context.
I first stumbled upon this series about five years ago, and as somebody who had never studied Russian or Soviet history formally (not entirely true, I did a bit on the Russian Revolution relatively early on in Secondary School…), I found it invaluable in getting me somewhat up to speed. For example, the phenomenon of samizdat, and also the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh were first brought to my attention by the series.
One thing that I remember striking me first time around is how eerily prescient a lot of it is. It certainly gives the lie to the fairly widespread notion that none of the experts saw the collapse of the Soviet Union coming; while Hosking never directly predicts its demise, in Episode 4: The Flawed Melting Pot he intimates that by the late 80s it was a distinct possibility.
Listening nearly 30 years on and having a reasonable idea of how things turned out, each time I revisit the series I encounter something akin to dramatic irony as well as a sense of sadness that Russia may temporarily have been heading in a more positive direction. On this subject though, Hosking makes a telling remark: ‘…looking at the bare shelves of Soviet grocery stores this summer, I got the feeling that perestroika is more evident when I leaf through the newspapers in the reading room of the School of Slavonic Studies than it is when I go shopping in Moscow.’ So perhaps the perception that Russia was temporarily on a different trajectory is more the result of an optical illusion than of a reality.
The style, as you might imagine from the context, is rather academic. I can definitely imagine Hosking having worn the stereotypical historian’s jacket with the felt patches on the elbows at some point. He does have a wry sense of humour though, which is particularly welcome considering the frequently sombre nature of the material. The malevolent spectre of Stalin glowers from the shadows throughout much of what is described here.
In several ways then, not exactly light listening, but great if you’re in the mood for something challenging. I feel I’d be remiss if I didn’t finish by mentioning one of my favourite parts of the series. Early on in episode two Hosking gives an evocative description of Russian hospitality that, with a few minor cosmetic changes, mirrored experiences that I had while I was still living there. With how much has changed in Russia over the last few decades, it’s reassuring that one of the most positive aspects of its culture seems to have remained intact.
