During the Soviet era, the Russian intelligentsia was defined by its resistance to official ideology. This resistance subjected its members to persecution even as it ensured their place in society. The very fact that the regime considered the intelligentsia dangerous reinforced the public perception that ideas were powerful.

But that was then, and this is now. Dead Again: The Russian Intelligentsia After Communism is a book written by journalist Masha Gessen and in it she talks about the disappearance of the Russian intelligentsia.

Guest:
• Masha Gessen, a Russian journalist and the author of Dead Again : The Russian Intelligentsia After Communism, which discusses the disappearance of the Russian intelligentsia. It’s published by Verso Press.