Mikhail Zygar says the Soviet Union’s collapse was only a temporary win for democracy

Wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East are reshaping global politics. In The Dark Side of the Earth , exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar traces the origins of these conflicts to the end of the Cold War. The book is a history of Russia as seen from Moscow during different moments in the Soviet Empire. In today’s episode, the author talks with NPR’s Nick Spicer about how the Soviet Union’s 1991 collapse was only a temporary win for democracy – and why this theme might resonate with American readers today. To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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Mikhail Zygar says the Soviet Union’s collapse was only a temporary win for democracy is an episode from NPR's Book of the Day by NPR.

This episode is 8:34 long.

This episode was published on Apr 30, 2026.

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