About a Boy: The Story of Vladimir Putin Chapter 1: The Ghosts
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Oct 4, 2023 The podcast delves into the horrors of World War II in Leningrad, including starvation, survival, and the impact on Vladimir Putin's family. It also explores the significance of Putin's Soviet upbringing and the extreme conditions endured by the civilians.
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Dvor Shapes Putin's Persona
- Vladimir Putin is best understood through the Soviet 'dvor' childhood social code rather than only KGB or judo facts.
- Former Soviets instantly read his gestures and tactics as products of post-war courtyard survival norms.
War Trauma Became Political Currency
- Putin turned the trauma of World War II into a central national narrative and political resource.
- He positions himself as the late child of a traumatized family, ruling as if survival is existential.
Scale Of Soviet WWII Losses
- The Soviet human cost in WWII dwarfs Western memory and frames Soviet identity across generations.
- Nearly 27 million deaths and ubiquitous local memorials keep the war central to Soviet/post-Soviet consciousness.