The Fall of the Russian Empire

It is tempting to read THE FALL OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE in the light of the events after 1991 when Boris Yeltsin stood on a Russian tank to address the troops who were sent to arrest him, but but instead followed him in ousting a seven decade old communist dictatorship. The 'fall' of the novel occurs in 1986, unlike its real life counterpart of 1991. Yet the difference between the fictional fall and the actual fall was one more of degree than of kind. In hindsight, it now seems obvious that the former Soviet Union was ripe for a fall. Donald James raises a number of issues that early in the novel suggest this fall was imminent. James notes a fact that may have been surprising to one who was unfamiliar with Russian history and geography: "At the root of the looming problems was the simple fact that the Soviet Union was an empire comprising fifteen totally different nations, one hundred languages, a racial spectrum from Slav to Mongol." James sets the background of his novel by drawing a comparison between the disunity of the Soviet people with the disunity of the Soviet Army: "By the early 1980's all but the first rank of Soviet Army divisions were riddled with racial tensions." Into this cauldron of oil and water, James introduces his major characters: Zoya Densky, who flits in and out of the action and supplies first hand limited view perspective; Natalya Roginova, the leader of the Soviet Union before she is ousted in a coup; Semyon Kuba, who follows Roginova as a Stalin wanna-be First Secretary and Absolute Leader of Russia; and Bubo, the penal convict who escapes the gulag to lead an army of penals to the very gates of Moscow with the intention of burning down the capital. There is no 'hero' in the traditional sense of a novel's dramatic center. Each of the main characters has his moments on stage and either reacts to events beyond his control, as Zoya Densky does, or acts to try to contain the uncontainable fury of the penal army as both Kuba and Bubo do. Along the way, the reader learns a great deal about the inner rot that comprised the heart of the Communist Party. By the novel's end, Kuba has only one option to retain his quickly dissipating hold on power. He tries a mass purge of murder and arrest for all those of the Politburo and Central Committee who threaten to balk his plans to control Russia, but he is too late. He himself is removed in a coup which restores Natalya Roginova to power. Kuba seems not surprised at his fate: "Try as he might, he could not imagine where he had gone wrong, or how Joseph Vissarionovich might have done better." James accurately portrays how a great country was lead astray by a clique of power hungry radicals in 1917 and how those same radicals bled that nation of pride, power, and respect. Perhaps there is a lesson for the current center of Russian leadership: the infinite capacity of the Russian people to sacrifice for the common good is matched only by an equal capacity for anger when

It is tempting to read THE FALL OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE in the light of the events after 1991 when Boris Yeltsin stood on a Russian tank to address the troops who were sent to arrest him but instead followed him in ousting a seven decade old communist dictatorship. The 'fall' of the novel occurs in 1986, unlike its real life counterpart of 1991. Yet the difference between the fictional fall and the actual fall was one more of degree than of kind. In hindsight, it now seems obvious that the former Soviet Union was ripe for a fall. Donald James raises a number of issues that early in the novel suggest this fall was imminent. James notes a fact that may have been surprising to one who was unfamiliar with Russian history and geography: "At the root of the looming problems was the simple fact that the Soviet Union was an empire comprising fifteen totally different nations, one hundred languages, a racial spectrum from Slav to Mongol." James sets the background of his novel by drawing a comparison between the disunity of the Soviet people with the disunity of the Soviet Army: "By the early 1980's all but the first rank of Soviet Army divisions were riddled with racial tensions." Into this cauldron of oil and water, James introduces his major characters: Zoya Densky, who flits in and out of the action and supplies first hand limited view perspective; Natalya Roginova, the leader of the Soviet Union before she is ousted in a coup; Semyon Kuba, who follows Roginova as a Stalin wanna-be First Secretary and Absolute Leader of Russia; and Bubo, the penal convict who escapes the gulag to lead an army of penals to the very gates of Moscow with the intention of burning down the capital. There is no 'hero' in the traditional sense of a novel's dramatic center. Each of the main characters has his moments on stage and either reacts to events beyond his control, as Zoya Densky does, or acts to try to contain the uncontainable fury of the penal army as both Kuba and Bubo do. Along the way, the reader learns a great deal about the inner rot that comprised the heart of the Communist Party. By the novel's end, Kuba has only one option to retain his quickly dissipating hold on power. He tries a mass purge of murder and arrest for all those of the Politburo and Central Committee who threaten to balk his plans to control Russia, but he is too late. He himself is removed in a coup which restores Natalya Roginova to power. Kuba seems not surprised at his fate: "Try as he might, he could not imagine where he had gone wrong, or how Joseph Vissarionovich might have done better." James accurately portrays how a great country was lead astray by a clique of power hungry radicals in 1917 and how those same radicals bled that nation of pride, power, and respect. Perhaps there is a lesson for the current center of Russian leadership: the infinite capacity of the Russian people to sacrifice for the common good is matched only by an equal capacity for anger when they see that their sacr

I would guess that not since the works of Aldous Huxely and George Orwell has a novel been so prophetic.Of course some of the details were not correct in this 1982 novel -written the year of Brezhnev's death- but so much of it was to come true.The decisive years in the novel were 1980 to 1985 while in reality the decisive events that finally cracked the Soviet monolith took place from 1985 to 1991.A member of the old guard is elected after Brezhenev ,but just like Andropov and Chernenko, die within roughly a year of assuming office.There is a struggle between hardliners and reformists led by a female Gorbachev figure.Eventually the fate of the Soviet Empire is decided in a dramatic standoff in Moscow between the people of Moscow and troops loyal to the hardline Communists-chillingly like the events of August 1991-leading to the collapse of the communist monster.One by one the Soviet Republics secsede from the Union as was to really happen.The hardliners-including the KGB -conspire to stall reform but fail.A look into the heart of the communist tyranny reveals what was going on when the book was written,at a time when those on the left in the west were denying these horrors.The Free Trade Union movement mirrors Solidarity in Poland and the passions of nationalism in the Soviet colonies and in Russia itself are depictedThe book is an epic in itself with suspense,love ,hate,horror and all the ingredients of a good novel. It centers around several characters inlcuding the young and lovely Zoya Densky who symbolizes the new generation that would in fact overthrow despotism in Russia and Eastern Europe,an American diplomat and his wife;Letsukov-a Ukrainian KGB agent who turns and helps the overthrow of the Russian Empire;Igor Bukansky-a journalist who has betrayed his principals but when he finally stands up to the government is destroyed together with his lover, the sensual but tragic Lydia Petrovna-the mother of the narrator of this story. Then there is Joeph Densky-a combination of Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa and Kuletsyn-Lydia's uncle who is a renowned dissident writer and eccentric but whose bitterness and particularly his calouss refusal to help his niece and Bukansky helps seal their fate.Indeed for all the idealism of his work Kuletsyn is in my opinion exposed as a cruel and hateful figure

I would guess that not since the works of Aldous Huxely and George Orwell has a novel been so prophetic.Of course some of the details were not correct in this 1982 novel -written the year of Brezhnev's death- but so much of it was to come true.The decisive years in the novel were 1980 to 1985 while in reality the decisive events that finally cracked the Soviet monolith took place from 1985 to 1991.A member of the old guard is elected after Brezhenev ,but just like Andropov and Chernenko, die within roughly a year of assuming office.There is a struggle between hardliners and reformists led by a female Gorbachev figure.Eventually the fate of the Soviet Empire is decided in a dramatic standoff in Moscow between the people of Moscow and troops loyal to the harline Communists-chillingly like the events of August 1991-leading to the collapse of the communist monster.One by one the Soviet Republics secsede from the Union as was to really happen.The hardliners-including the KGB -conspire to stall reform but fail.A look into the heart of the communist tyranny reveals what was going on when the book was written,at a time when those on the left in the west were denying these horrors.The Free Trade Union movement mirrors Solidarity in Poland and the passions of nationalism in the Soviet colonies and in Russia itself are depictedThe book is an epic in itself with suspense,love ,hate,horror and all the ingredients of a good novel. It centers around several characters inlcuding the young and lovely Zoya Densky who symbolizes the new generation that would in fact overthrow despotism in Russia and Eastern Europe,an American diplomat and his wife;Letsukov-a Ukrainian KGB agent who turns and helps the overthrow of the Russian Empire;Igor Bukansky-a journalist who has betrayed his principals but when he finally stands up to the government is destroyed and his lover the sensual but tragic Lydia Petrovna-the mother of the narrator of this story. Then there is Joeph Densky-a combination between Vaclav havel and Lech Walesa and Kuletsyn-Lydia's uncle who is a renowned dissident writer and eccentric but whose bitterness and particularly his calouss refusal to help his niece and Bukansky helps seal their fate.Indeed for all the idealism of his work Kuletsyn is in my opinion exposed as a cruel and hateful figureAs good a read as the novel may be, what stands out above all was the accuracy of the author's prophecies.