The Gist Mikhail Zygar: From Glasnost Whiplash to Social-Media Smog
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Dec 16, 2025 Mikhail Zygar is a Russian journalist and filmmaker in exile, renowned for his insights into Russian politics. In this discussion, he explores the motivations behind his book, detailing his personal stakes after leaving Russia. Zygar draws parallels between the late-Soviet era's information overload and today's social media dynamics. He highlights the significance of Gorbachev's reforms, Chernobyl's role in press freedom, and the subsequent failures of democracy in post-Soviet Russia. His reflections offer a compelling look at historical and contemporary challenges in governance.
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Personal Loss Shaped The Book
- Zygar made the book personal after he couldn't attend his mother's funeral while exiled for opposing the 2022 invasion.
- He added short family vignettes to each chapter to connect national history to lived experience.
Silencing Through False Diagnosis
- Grigory Yavlinsky's reform report was erased and he was falsely diagnosed with tuberculosis to silence him.
- A doctor secretly told him, "You're healthy. Run away," and he survived until Gorbachev's rise freed him.
Cultural Shifts Preceded Political Reform
- Gorbachev's exposure to different ideas, partly via Raisa, helped him imagine reform as possible.
- Zygar emphasizes cultural and intellectual shifts from the 1960s as precursors to late-80s change.