Between two fires

In this richly narrative tour of contemporary Russia, Joshua Yaffa introduces readers to some of the country's most prominent figures—from politicians and businessmen to artists and historians—who have built their careers and identities under Putin's regime. Torn between their own ambitions and the state's relentless demands, each pursues an individual path of compromise. Some marshal their cunning and cynicism to extract various benefits and privileges from those in power. Others find themselves less adept, leaving them broken and frustrated. What binds them together is the tangled web of dilemmas and contradictions they face. Between Two Fires chronicles the lives of several activists who realize that their dreams can only be realized with varying degrees of cooperation with the Russian government. With sensitivity and depth, Yaffa profiles the director of the country's main television channel, an Orthodox priest in conflict with church authority, a Chechen who turns a blind eye to persecution, and many more. The result is an intimate and profound portrait of a much-discussed but little-understood nation. By showing how citizens shape their lives according to the demands of a capricious and often repressive state—whether by choice or under threat of force—Jaffa offers urgent lessons about the true nature of modern tyranny.