Book Review: The Dark Side of the Earth: Russia’s Short-lived Victory over Totalitarianism
By Mikhail Zygar, Scribner
The Reviewer —Jean-Thomas Nicole is a Policy Advisor with Public Safety Canada. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policies or positions of Public Safety Canada or the Canadian government
REVIEW —Mikhail Zygar’s The Dark Side of the Earth is a sweeping, incisive, and deeply personal account of Russia’s post-totalitarian trajectory, offering a compelling reinterpretation of the Cold War’s aftermath and the Soviet Union’s dissolution. Zygar, a prominent Russian journalist and historian, draws on nearly a decade of research and hundreds of interviews—including with Mikhail Gorbachev and other key figures—to argue that the collapse of the USSR was not a definitive end but a transformation whose consequences continue to shape global politics.
Born in Moscow in 1981, Zygar is a journalist, author, and filmmaker who first gained recognition as a war correspondent before founding TV Rain (Dozhd), Russia’s only independent news television channel during the 2010s. Under his leadership, it became a vital platform for dissenting voices, challenging Kremlin censorship—particularly during the 2011–2012 protests and the initial stages of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
As state pressure mounted, Zygar was forced to leave Russia. Since then, he has become a prominent commentator on Russian politics in the West, contributing to major publications such as The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and Time Magazine. He has also lectured at leading institutions including Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.
The title The Dark Side of the Earth is a metaphorical framing of Russia’s post-Soviet experience and the broader global consequences of the Cold War’s unresolved legacy. Zygar uses the phrase to evoke the idea of a world still partially shrouded in authoritarianism, repression, and imperial nostalgia.
While the Cold War may have ended in geopolitical terms, he argues that its ideological and cultural shadows persist—particularly in Russia, where the promise of democratic transformation was fleeting. The “dark side” refers to the parts of the world, and aspects of political culture, which remain untouched by the light of liberal democracy and truth.
Consequently, the book opens with a provocative question: Who really won the Cold War? Zygar suggests that neither Russia nor the West emerged victorious in any lasting sense. Russia’s brief democratic opening—its “moment in the sunlight”—was quickly eclipsed by a return to authoritarianism. Meanwhile, Zygar sees echoes of Russian-style cynicism and disillusionment creeping into Western democracies as well. Or, as he writes it, in a demurred but eloquent fashion, a bit like a diary note: "this book is about the collapse of an empire that lost its values. And about those who still believe in democracy and fight to change the world. The events described in this book mirror much of what’s happening now in the United States and across the world—only in reverse”.
The book’s central thesis is that the Soviet Union’s imperial and authoritarian legacy was never fully dismantled. Instead, it mutated, resurfacing in the form of modern Russian nationalism and Putinist ideology. Zygar traces this evolution through a rich tapestry of cultural, political, and historical episodes—from Khrushchev’s thaw and the publication of Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, to the symbolic airing of Ukrainian-language cinema in the 1960s, and the tragic arc of Yuri Gagarin’s life.
The “dark side” is not, however, just Russia—it is any place where truth is suppressed, history is manipulated, and power is preserved through myth.
Zygar’s narrative is therefore both panoramic and intimate. He juxtaposes the Soviet Union’s fleeting democratic openings with the West’s own democratic backsliding, provocatively suggesting that neither side truly “won” the Cold War. This framing challenges triumphalist narratives and invites readers to reconsider the ideological binaries that have long dominated geopolitical discourse.
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Along the way, The Dark Side of the Earth by Mikhail Zygar explores interwoven themes that shed light on Russia’s post-Soviet evolution and its global implications. Firstly, it underlines the persistence of imperial ideology. Zygar argues that the collapse of the Soviet Union did not erase its imperial mindset. Instead, this ideology adapted and persisted, influencing modern Russian nationalism and foreign policy. The book traces how historical narratives and cultural memory continue to shape Russia’s self-image and its interactions with neighboring states.
Secondly, it questions the myth of democratic transition. Contrary to Western optimism in the 1990s, Zygar suggests that Russia never fully transitioned to democracy. He highlights missed opportunities, internal resistance, and the West’s own complicity in enabling authoritarian resurgence. This theme critiques the simplistic notion of a linear path from communism to liberal democracy.
In his book, Mikhail Zygar treats culture interestingly not as a passive reflection of politics, but as its engine—an invisible force shaping the ambitions of leaders and the soul of a nation. Soviet cinema, literature, and language emerge as instruments of both indoctrination and resistance.
As a telling example, Zygar recounts how Vladimir Putin’s path to power began not in a political seminar, but in a movie theater. He was captivated by a Soviet spy film crafted in response to the West’s James Bond franchise. “He was enthralled,” Zygar writes, “and attempted to enlist, only to be told that ‘first, he must get a higher education, perhaps in law.’” This cinematic moment, trivial, marked the beginning of a career that would restore Soviet-style power under a new guise.
Yet the most haunting insight comes in Zygar’s conclusion: “The people now in power in Russia are the last Soviet generation,” he writes, “those who absorbed Soviet culture but not Soviet faith.” They inherited the aesthetics of empire—the symbols, the stories, the rituals—but not the ideological conviction. What remains is a hollowed-out mythology, repurposed to justify modern authoritarianism.
In this way, Zygar’s book is not just history, it is a cultural autopsy. He urges readers to confront the narratives they have accepted and rethink how oppression is sustained not only through laws and armies, but through the stories we tell and the silences we preserve.
Stylistically, Zygar’s prose is fluid and accessible, yet rigorously sourced. His journalistic background lends the book a vivid immediacy, while his historical analysis remains grounded in archival material and firsthand testimony.
The book’s academic value lies in its interdisciplinary approach. Zygar blends political history, cultural studies, and biographical narrative to illuminate the persistence of imperial ideology in post-Soviet Russia. His work contributes to ongoing debates about authoritarian resilience, historical memory, and the role of media in shaping political identity.
In conclusion, The Dark Side of the Earth is a consequential addition to contemporary Russian studies and Cold War historiography. It challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the unfinished business of the 20th century and the enduring shadows cast by empire. Zygar’s work is not only a historical reckoning but also a call to vigilance in the face of resurgent authoritarianism.
For national security professionals and intelligence analysts, The Dark Side of the Earth reads less like a history book and more like a strategic briefing disguised as cultural analysis. Zygar’s central insight is that Russia’s post-Soviet trajectory cannot be understood through policy alone—it must be decoded through the stories it tells itself.
The book finally offers a warning: strategic misreadings often stem from cultural blind spots. Understanding Russia’s actions requires more than intelligence—it demands cultural fluency. Zygar’s work is a reminder that in the realm of national security, stories matter as much as signals.
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