A Russian Diary

PUBLISHED AFTER HER HIRED KILLING AT MOSCOW, IN THE ELEVATOR OF HER VERY APARTMENT, BY UNKNOWN ASSAISINS, AND THE MYSTERY OF THE REAL MASTERMIND BEHIND HER ASSAISINATION STILL NOT SOLVED, A RUSSIAN DIARY HAS BEEN TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL RUSSIAN JOURNALIST, ANNA POLITKOVASKAYA; TRANSLATED BY ARCH TAIT IN ENGLISH, IT HAS A FORWARD BY JON SNOW. THE BOOK HAS BEEN BROADLY DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR PARTS, OR CHAPTERS, COVERING A PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 2003 TO AUGUST 2005, AND HAVE BEEN TITLED AS PER THE POLITICAL SCENARIO IN RUSSIA, TO UNFOLD THE MALPRACTICES IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, POLITICAL DEPRESSION, AND THE DISCONTENTED SUMMER AND WINTER. IN THE LAST CHAPTER, POLITKOVASKAYA HAS DONE SOME LOUD THINKING, ABOUT HER OBSESSION TO EXPOSE THE CORRUPTION, CRIPPLED SOCIETY, INACTIVE YOUNG GENERATION, AND A STATE OF DISPAIR. A TRUE AND THEREFORE, HAIR-RAISING ACCOUNT OF THE ATROCITIES OF WAR IN CHECHNYA, BESLAN SCHOOL SIEGE, AND DEPRIVATION OF PEOPLE FROM THE BASIC NECESSITIES, HUMAN RIGHTS, UNFOLDS BEFORE THE READER. POLITKOVSKAYA, WHO WORKED AS A JOURNALIST FOR NOVAYA GAZETA, WENT OUT OF THE WAY TO GIVE A FIRST-HAND REPORT AND ANALYSIS OF PUTIN S GREED FOR POWER, BY A CLEVER MANIPULATION OF THE MEDIA, AND AN EYE-WASH, TO BAFFLE THE GULLIBLE, VULNERABLE LEADERS, AND PUBLIC AT LARGE. THE VOICE OF THE ORGANISATIONS PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, WAS RUTHLESSLY CURBED, AND ANNA TRIED HER LEVEL BEST TO CREATE AN AWARENESS AMONG THE ACTIVISTS. AFTER THREATS TO HER LIFE, AND EVEN INCIDENTS OF ATTEMPTS TO POISON HER ON HER FLIGHT, WHILE SHE WAS ON HER MISSION, SHE NEVER GAVE UP, AND STAKED HER SAFETY, FINALLY LOSING IT TO THE GUN SHOTS FIRED AT HER ON OCOBER 7TH 2006. SHE HAS WON MANY AWARDS, FOR HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JOURNALISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENERAL, AND SERVICE TO THE MANKIND IN PARTICULAR. MOST EXTRAORDINARY AUTHOR, WHO HAS WRITTEN EVEN OTHER EYE OPENERS, LIKE PUTIN S RUSSIA, LIVES THROUGH HER BOOKS. SURPRISINGLY, A RUSSIAN DIARY COULD NOT BE PUBLISHED IN RUSSIA TILL DATE.