Moscow, Europe Publishing House, 2006, pp 216
The events in the city of Kondopoga were not merely a local social eruption in a small town. The authors are exposing to us a scenario in which many real problems (rather typical of Russia) and social antagonisms within a small town have been superimposed on several other battles conducted on an absolutely different level of politics. On a regional level, we see split elites contending for the electorate under the available party brands. On the federal level, there are various forces struggling for a factor that would help break the existing status quo. Combined, these struggles have resulted in not just a local conflict but emergence of a brand new technology for instigating manageable crises, which can be applied to almost any part of Russia.
The investigation conducted by Maxim Grigoriev’s group with support from the Russian Public Chamber’s committee for regional development and local self-government makes it possible to conduct a detailed factual analysis of the clichйs and myths formed as a result of the confrontation. Both the situation itself and its context are much more complex and ambivalent than they appeared in media coverage.
