Secondhand Time audiobook cover - The Last of the Soviets

Secondhand Time

The Last of the Soviets

Svetlana Alexievich

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Secondhand Time
The Collapse of Communism+
Psychological Devastation+
The Paradox of Loyalty+
Enduring Violence+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
What was the unexpected outcome of the perestroika reforms for the Soviet Union?
  • A. A transition into a new, humane form of socialism.
  • B. A return to strict, Stalin-era authoritarianism.
  • C. A sudden, unprepared plunge into capitalism.
  • D. The immediate abolition of the military and police forces.
Question 2 of 7
How did former Communist Party member Elena Yurievna view the new capitalist society under Boris Yeltsin?
  • A. She felt alienated by the new 'cult of money' and the prioritization of wealthy elites over artists.
  • B. She embraced it because it finally rewarded hard work and innovation.
  • C. She believed it successfully achieved the 'humane socialism' Gorbachev had promised.
  • D. She appreciated it because it finally acknowledged the atrocities of the Soviet labor camps.
Question 3 of 7
According to the text, why did some Soviet citizens, including decorated soldiers and factory workers, commit suicide after the fall of Communism?
  • A. They were facing imminent prosecution for war crimes committed during the Soviet era.
  • B. They were forced into exile by the new democratic government and refused to leave.
  • C. The new capitalist government mandated harsh penalties for anyone loyal to the party.
  • D. The sudden loss of their deeply ingrained state ideology left them feeling their lives had no purpose.
Question 4 of 7
What paradoxical behavior was observed among many victims of the Soviet gulags and prisons?
  • A. They immediately joined the newly formed capitalist elite to seek revenge.
  • B. They organized large-scale armed rebellions against the military upon their release.
  • C. They maintained or even deepened their loyalty to Communism and leaders like Stalin, despite the abuse.
  • D. They returned from incarceration completely unwilling to speak about their experiences to anyone.
Question 5 of 7
What does the story of Anna and her son illustrate about the shift in societal values after the fall of the Soviet Union?
  • A. Anna is deeply ashamed of her son's past as a state executioner but proud of his new business.
  • B. Anna is unaware of her son's past as an executioner, but is ironically ashamed of his new job as a tradesman.
  • C. Anna's son used his wealth from being an executioner to become a highly respected politician.
  • D. Anna's son voluntarily confessed to his crimes because the new society offered amnesty.
Question 6 of 7
What happened in regions like Abkhazia and Baku immediately following the dissolution of the Soviet Union?
  • A. Long-standing Soviet unity fractured, leading to brutal ethnic violence and civil wars among neighbors.
  • B. Citizens peacefully voted to form independent democratic nations with open borders.
  • C. The regions experienced massive economic booms due to newly discovered oil reserves.
  • D. The Russian military permanently occupied the regions to enforce a new capitalist constitution.
Question 7 of 7
Based on the experiences of Aleksander Laskovich and the Chechen war, what aspect of Russian society remained largely unchanged from the Soviet era?
  • A. The deeply ingrained militaristic culture and the brutal treatment of citizens by authorities.
  • B. The strict enforcement of Communist economic policies in all rural villages.
  • C. The absolute prohibition of bribes and corruption within the local police forces.
  • D. The widespread public support for erecting new statues of Lenin in major cities.

Secondhand Time — Full Chapter Overview

Secondhand Time Summary & Overview

These blinks give some revolutionary insights into an epoch-making time in Russia’s history. The author presents an oral history of Russia’s transition from Stalinism to capitalism in which she lets people who were there tell their stories. In Secondhand Time (2016), her witnesses tell us what it means to be Russian, then and now. All of them lived through this transitional period, but some did not survive.

Who Should Listen to Secondhand Time?

  • Cultural historians
  • People who want to know more about Russia and the Cold War
  • Readers curious about the Russian reaction to capitalism

About the Author: Svetlana Alexievich

Svetlana Alexievich is a Nobel Prize-winning author. She worked as a journalist before she started compiling her unique and exciting oral histories. She gives voice to people who lived through tumultuous times. Her other works include Voices from Chernobyl and The Last Witnesses.

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