Fitzpatrick S. F66 A Brief History of the Soviet Union / Sheila Fitzpatrick ; translated from English. — Moscow: Alpina Non-Fiction, 2023. — 336 pages. ISBN 978-5-00139-820-2 In 1917, the Bolsheviks came to power in the Russian Empire, exhausted by World War I, against all predictions, including their own. In 1991, after roughly the average human lifespan, the Soviet Union collapsed as suddenly as it had appeared. The decades between these two events encompassed tragedies of incredible scale — the chaos of the post-revolutionary years, famine and terror, the hard-won victory in the most devastating war in human history, and the global geopolitical conflict, yet all these tragedies were inextricably woven with the dream of building a better society. The famous historian Sheila Fitzpatrick compiled the most concise chronicle of the Soviet era — its beginning, flowering, and unexpected end, as well as its posthumous existence in today’s Russia. This book is a vivid and authentic narrative of the complex history of the USSR, sprinkled with bright details, unexpected perspectives, and witty remarks. First and foremost, Fitzpatrick clearly illustrates many paradoxes of the Soviet experiment. The ideology that claimed to grant man power over history itself failed to cope with unforeseen circumstances. A state that saw itself as internationalist and anti-imperialist gave rise to many nationalisms. Ultimately, the idea of radically overcoming social inequality and economic injustice gave rise to a country that was, in its own way, surprisingly normal. UDC 94(470)"1917/1991" BBK 63.3(2)6