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

Summary

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NPR's Book of the Day: Mikhail Zygar on the Collapse—and Return—of the Soviet Spirit

Episode Title: Mikhail Zygar says the Soviet Union’s collapse was only a temporary win for democracy
Date: April 30, 2026
Host: Alyssa Nadworny
Featured Guest: Mikhail Zygar
Interviewed by: Nick Spicer

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Episode Overview

In this episode, exiled Russian journalist and author Mikhail Zygar discusses his latest book, The Dark Side of the Earth. Zygar argues that the collapse of the Soviet Union was not the decisive win for democracy many had hoped for, and that many of the unresolved issues from that period persist today, shaping the current world order. Speaking from his new home in New York, Zygar shares insights into modern Russia, the resurgence of autocratic values, and the relevance of Soviet history for both Russia and the West.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Psychological Collapse of the Soviet Union

[01:58 – 02:50]

• Zygar traces the real beginning of the Soviet collapse to long before 1991, highlighting a psychological breakdown:

  “A lot of people in the Soviet Union stopped believing, believing in any possibility of any bright future for Soviet Union. They stopped believing in communism. ...That psychological dimension was really important.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 01:58)

2. The 1990s: A False Victory for Democracy

[03:12 – 04:20]

• Zygar argues that the surge of hope in the late 1980s and 1990s was deceptive:

  “The world today looks like not as if democrats had prevailed back in the 90s, but on the contrary. ...Russia today looks like the country where the coup of 1991 had actually prevailed.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 03:12)

• He notes that liberal democracy, once fashionable, is now seen by many as outdated.

3. Global Echoes of Declining Faith in Democracy

[04:21 – 04:48]

• Zygar draws parallels to current skepticism towards democracy in both the US and Europe:

  “I'm afraid there are a lot of people in the United States who don't really believe and quite a lot of people in Europe.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 04:23)

• The recent Hungarian election is referred to as evidence of democracy’s complexity and fragility.

4. Putin’s Response: Reimposing Soviet Values

[04:48 – 05:43]

• Zygar explains that Putin is out of touch with younger generations, who lack Soviet nostalgia:

  “He realized he does not understand the new generations of Russians because they don't share his Soviet cultural codes.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 04:48)

• Putin’s project is characterized as an effort to “re-educate,” resurrect Soviet repression, and instill obedience—framing the war in Ukraine as also a war for controlling Russia’s youth.

5. Lessons for Western Audiences & Modern Parallels

[06:12 – 07:38]

• Zygar directly warns of complacency in American and Western democracies, noting “unexpected parallels” between declining faith in Soviet communism and rising cynicism in the West:

  “Cynicism, which is becoming more and more influential in many countries of the world, is that kind of disease.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 06:12)

• He provocatively compares Gorbachev and Obama, and Yeltsin and Trump, as figures who signify potentially transformative but divisive moments.

6. The Future of Russia and Hope for Democracy

[07:54 – 09:19]

• Zygar is cautiously optimistic about the end of Putin’s regime and the possibility of democratic change, but sees it as tied to global trends:

  “The end of the Putin's empire is inevitable...it will be very different from what we see now in 20 years.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 07:54)

• On the assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny:

  “He is clearly going to be seen by future generations of Russians as some kind of Russian messiah, the heroic leader who gave his life for democratic values, for the idea that Russia can be democracy. ...That can really change the way how the future generations would see their own future.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 08:36)

• Zygar concludes that sacrifice for democratic ideals leaves a powerful legacy for the future.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Disillusionment:

  “A lot of people in the Soviet Union stopped believing… They stopped believing in communism.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 01:58)

• On the Return of Authoritarianism:

  “Today's Russian President, Vladimir Putin, shares the same rhetorics as the old hardcore conservatives used to have in the late years of the Soviet Union.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 03:12)

• On Western Parallels:

  “It will be really important for people in America to read this, to see some obvious trends… how that empire came to its end.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 06:12)

• On Cynicism as Threat:

  “Cynicism… is that kind of disease.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 06:57)

• On Navalny’s Legacy:

  “He is clearly going to be seen by future generations of Russians as some kind of Russian messiah, the heroic leader who gave his life for democratic values… That can really change the way future generations would see their own future.”
  (Mikhail Zygar, 08:36)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:58] — The psychological origins of Soviet collapse
• [03:12] — Why the 1990s weren’t a true victory for democracy
• [04:23] — Growing global cynicism towards liberal democracy
• [04:48] — Putin’s effort to reimpose Soviet values and control youth
• [06:12] — Warnings for America and parallels to Soviet decline
• [07:54] — Hopes for Russia’s future, Putin’s end, and Navalny’s legacy

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Tone & Style

Throughout the conversation, Zygar maintains a reflective, sometimes somber tone, underscored by urgency and a clear warning to Western listeners. He blends historical analysis with present-day parallels, creating an engaging and thought-provoking discussion on the cyclical nature of political faith and authoritarian resurgence.

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This episode offers a rich, nuanced look at both Russian history and the current global crisis of democracy, giving listeners historical context and urgent questions for today.

Transcript

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Hi there. You're listening to NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Alyssa Nadworny. Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zegar now lives in New York after fleeing Russia in 2022. A court there sentenced him in absentia to eight and a half years in prison after he spoke out about the war in Ukraine. In his latest book, the Dark side of the Earth, he says the Soviet Union's collapse wasn't a victory for democracy and that many unresolved issues led to the world order we have now. He he tells NPR's Nick Spicer how the history of Russia helps explain the forces shaping moves by President Vladimir Putin today.

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[Mikhail Zegar]

In my book, I cover 30 years. I start with the early 60s, the moment when the first man goes to space, Yuri Gagarin. And that's the highest peak of the Soviet civilization. And only in 30 years after that, Soviet Union collapses. So it takes 30 years for the country to disappear. And I think what was really important, Soviet Union started collapsing decades before 1991 because a lot of people in the Soviet Union stopped believing, believing in any possibility of any bright future for Soviet Union. They stopped believing in communism. And in the late 80s, they saw a different perspective. They they started believing that democratic Russia was possible. So I think that psychological dimension was really important. And it's the the most important approach

[Nick Spicer]

in my book so sort of a crisis of faith. It sounds like absolutely one of the big changes in the late 80s and 90s. You describe that moment so well at the end of the Cold War when everything seemed to be opening up, reform, new freedoms, McDonald's, you know, near Red Square. I remember visiting that. And a sense that history had turned. But you argued that it had not. Why not?

[Mikhail Zegar]

We see now that the world today looks like not as if democrats had prevailed back in the 90s, but on the contrary. And today's Russian President, Vladimir Putin, shares the same rhetorics as the old hardcore conservatives used to have in the late years of the Soviet Union. So indeed Russia today looks like the country where the coup of 1991, the coup attempt against Gorbachev, had actually prevailed. And somehow the Western ideas, not the Western military forces, but the ideas democracy, became so popular and so fashionable, it was completely unacceptable to remain dictator, not only for old communist bosses, but for a lot of other former dictators. And now we see that we are living through the opposite trend. We see that liberal democracy seems to be like old and outdated and naive ideology and a lot of people seem not to believe in it.

[Nick Spicer]

Why not?

[Carvana Sponsor]

And where?

[Mikhail Zegar]

I'm afraid there are a lot of people in the United States who don't really believe and quite a lot of people in Europe. I'm happy that we are talking to you a few days right after the election in Hungary. That shows us that it's still a complicated picture.

[Nick Spicer]

And tell me, how does that inform the decisions that Vladimir Putin is taking in Russia and on the global stage?

[Mikhail Zegar]

The worst thing that that happened to Vladimir Putin during the last years is that he realized he does not understand the new generations of Russians because they don't share his Soviet cultural codes. They less and less seem to worship the great empire. They are not that different from other people who were born and raised with iPhones in their pockets in Europe or in the West. So Putin needs to re educate all those people. He needs to bring Soviet Union back. He needs to bring Soviet values back. He needed to relaunch that repressive apparatus and the atmosphere of fear in the country. So I'm still convinced that this war in Ukraine is also the war for Russia. Not only for Ukraine, it's the war to make young Russians obey the dictator.

[Nick Spicer]

So you know, from having read your book, it's fascinating read, fascinating look at Soviet history as seen from Moscow, from different points of the Soviet empire at the time. You've interviewed a lot of high level people. What is the sort of resonance for A Western reader. Now, somebody who picks up your book in the United States are there, you know, you're doing history. But it does have contemporary echoes. What is the sort of takeaway for somebody living in the here and now today?

[Mikhail Zegar]

You know, I'm afraid to say that I see some parallels, because definitely an almighty empire that Soviet Union used to be and the almighty empire of the United States of America have something in common. And I think it will be really important for some people in America to read this, to see some obvious trends that were happening in the Soviet Union and how that empire came to its end. And one of the most important reasons, as I've already mentioned, was the crisis of faith, crisis of confidence, the fact that for all Soviet people, the communist ideology was completely outdated and no one believed in it. So, basically, yes, I think liberal democracy, as it is the cornerstone of the United States, is crucial. And cynicism, which is becoming more and more influential in many countries of the world, is that kind of disease. So I think that's to find some unexpected parallels between historic figures, because I think unexpectedly, when I was writing about Mikhail Gorbachev, for example, I found that he historically, in a way, looks like former President Barack Obama or first Russian President Boris Yeltsin, in a way reminded me of Donald Trump.

[Nick Spicer]

And just to look forward for your country and the Russians who may be looking back on their history and imagining the future, do you feel hopeful for your country? Is there going to be a moment where freedom and democracy come to the country?

[Mikhail Zegar]

You know, first, I do think that the end of the Putin's empire is inevitable. And I think it's from historical point of view, it's more or less obvious that the concept of Russia as an empire is doomed. So Russia won't be able to remain that aggressive empire as it's trying to be. So I'm more or less confident that it will be very different from what we see now in 20 years. It's harder to predict future of democracy because it depends on the rest of the world as well. Yeah, I wish that democratic ideas in Russia could prevail. And I think it's possible. It's really possible because unfortunately, tragically, the leader of Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, was murdered in Russian prison two years ago. But still, he is clearly going to be seen by future generations of Russians as some kind of Russian messiah, the heroic leader who gave his life for democratic values, for the idea that Russia can be democracy. And I think that's a very powerful message when a person sacrifices his life for his belief in democracy. That's very impactful. That can really change the way how the future generations would see their own future.

[Nick Spicer]

A hero to remember then.

[Mikhail Zegar]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Nick Spicer]

Mikhail Zegar is the author of Dark side of the Earth. Thanks so much.

[Mikhail Zegar]

Thank you, Nick.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

And just a quick reminder that signing up for book of the day plus is a great way to support NPR's book coverage and public media. And you'll get to listen to every episode sponsor free. So please go find out [e-mail] BookOfTheDay.

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