Secondhand Time Summary

“How does one endure the loss of an entire world? When beliefs are shattered and a nation dissolves, what remains in the hearts of its people?”

1. The swift dismantling of the Soviet Union shocked its citizens.

For decades, the Soviet Union functioned as a strict Communist regime with centralized power and rigid ideology. The dissolution of this system in the early 1990s was a sudden and jarring event for its people. In just a matter of days, the identity, structure, and values that defined everyday life were wiped out.

Gorbachev’s reforms under perestroika (beginning in 1985) hinted at change. They allowed greater freedom of speech and revealed the brutality of their history, like the atrocities of Soviet labor camps. But no one foresaw that these efforts would ultimately dismantle the entire Communist Party by 1991 following the General Committee on the State Emergency’s failed coup.

This shift left citizens feeling disoriented. For people in cities like Moscow, it seemed like the dawn of modernization. Yet for those in rural areas, it felt like betrayal. Instead of evolving into a renewed socialism, the country tumbled headfirst into capitalism, catching everyone off guard.

Examples

• The 1991 Moscow coup saw soldiers defect to protesters, signaling loyalty upheavals.
• Gorbachev’s decision to dissolve the Communist Party stunned his own government.
• Rural residents remained more attached to Communist values compared to urban populations.

2. Views on Communism remain divided among the people.

The legacy of Communism triggers deeply personal and emotional responses, shaped by generational and geographical divides. For some, it represents camaraderie and history, while others see it as oppression and stagnation.

Older citizens, like Elena Yurievna, lament the loss of Soviet accomplishments like defeating the Nazis, creating space programs, and fostering values of solidarity. For her, capitalism’s focus on wealth and materialism feels alien. Others, such as her friend Anna, view perestroika more optimistically despite its flaws, recalling the brief wave of hope and positivity it inspired.

The rural and urban divide further splits public opinion. City dwellers often felt closer to perestroika’s reforms, while rural citizens clung to the stability and order promised by Communism. A shared sense of disillusionment, however, unites many across these divisions.

Examples

• Elena felt pride in Russia’s achievements, contrasting sharply with her disdain for capitalist materialism.
• Anna’s optimism during perestroika showcases a different perspective, even amid chaos.
• Rural communities displayed greater loyalty to Communist traditions than urban centers.

3. The collapse led to despair, pushing some to extreme ends like suicide.

The sudden upheaval brought not only economic and societal chaos but also personal despair. Many citizens, deeply tied to the Communist vision of equality and purpose, found the loss unbearable and resorted to suicide as they struggled to understand their new reality.

Alexander Porfirievich Sharpilo, a retired factory worker, saw his life savings rendered worthless overnight by economic shifts. His belief in the system, shattered by capitalist betrayal, drove him to set himself on fire. Similarly, Sergey Fyodorovich Akhromeyev, once a decorated soldier, took his own life after watching the collapse of the ideology he had dedicated his life to.

These stories reflect the deep emotional and psychological toll of losing not just a political system but a sense of identity and meaning.

Examples

• Alexander’s life savings, once enough to buy a luxury car, became insufficient even for basic needs.
• Sergey, a government officer, wrote haunting suicide notes mourning the “death of the fatherland.”
• Younger citizens expressed bewilderment at how quickly their foundational beliefs evaporated.

4. Devotion to Communism persisted even among victims of its brutality.

Astonishingly, many who suffered under Stalin’s gulags and purges still embraced and defended Communism. This loyalty shows the deep indoctrination of the Soviet system, where citizens saw themselves as sacrificing for a greater good.

Elena’s father, labeled a traitor for surviving a Finnish war capture, endured years in a work camp. Despite returning home emaciated and broken, he held no resentment and displayed Stalin's portrait in his house. Others like Vasily Petrovich credited Stalin’s reign with transforming Russia into a global superpower, even while acknowledging the gulags’ human cost.

This paradoxical attachment extended even to orphans of prisoners, like Anna, who joined Communist organizations upon leaving brutal orphanages where staff freely abused children.

Examples

• Elena’s father aligned his suffering with a belief in serving the state’s larger purpose.
• Vasily credited Stalin’s military buildup for defeating Nazis despite witnessing gulag horrors.
• Anna, scarred by orphanage abuse, still joined the youth Communist movement.

5. Everyday life thrived under a culture of control and informants.

The Soviet regime depended on control mechanisms like informants and pervasive surveillance. Society operated under paranoia, where any neighbor or co-worker might report dissent, resulting in torture, imprisonment, or even death.

Anna represents this dynamic. Proud of her son’s Communist-era government job, she’s unaware he had been an executioner tasked with killing citizens. Meanwhile, Vanya endured torture in a gulag after being informed upon but maintained a complex relationship with his betrayer, even drinking with him on holidays.

This climate created multi-layered victimhood. Even perpetrators—such as Anna’s son—later faced imprisonment or ostracism when their crimes were revealed after 1991.

Examples

• Anna’s son fulfilled quotas for executions, hiding gruesome details from his mother.
• Vanya balanced anger and reconciliation with the man who betrayed him in the gulag.
• Torturers and informants were later imprisoned under capitalism, blurring victim-perpetrator lines.

6. Ethnic tensions erupted as the USSR broke apart into separate states.

The fall of the Soviet Union gave rise to bloody conflicts fueled by nationalism and ethnic divides. Regions that once coexisted ignited into violence, leaving families torn apart.

Olga, a Georgian woman, fled her homeland of Abkhazia when local factions began targeting Georgians. Bribing her way out, she endured weeks of homelessness in Moscow. Margarita, an Armenian woman in Baku, was forced to hide in an attic to escape attacks from Azerbaijani nationalists, despite having married an Azerbaijani man.

These stories underline how previously suppressed ethnic divides exploded when no longer contained by the Soviet regime’s overarching authority.

Examples

• Olga saw her once-peaceful community devolve into genocide against ethnic Georgians.
• Margarita faced rejection from both families due to her mixed Armenian-Azerbaijani marriage.
• Abulfaz, Margarita’s husband, endured family sabotage delaying his reunion with her.

7. The military’s role remains deeply embedded in Russian culture.

Though capitalism made sweeping changes, one consistent thread is Russia’s entrenched militaristic identity. From Soviet times to today, the military wields significant cultural and political influence.

Aleksander Laskovich, from a military family, describes the brutal training methods used to dehumanize recruits and prepare them for violence. In conflicts like the Chechen wars, soldiers were simultaneously destroyers and caretakers, torn between orders and their humanity.

Even outside explicit war zones, the military presence is felt. In Moscow, Chechens and others seen as “outsiders” face police harassment and violence without provocation.

Examples

• Aleksander witnessed recruits forced to kill animals to desensitize them to death.
• In Chechnya, Russian soldiers oscillated between destroying communities and offering humanitarian aid.
• Chechens in Moscow paid bribes to avoid abuse from authorities.

8. The Soviet collapse exacerbated Russia’s social inequalities.

As capitalism replaced socialism, economic disparities widened. A small elite emerged, flaunting wealth and power, leaving many ordinary Russians in poverty and disillusionment.

Elena resents the culture of greed and luxury capitalism fostered. She recalls the days when intellectuals like poets and writers were revered, contrasting this with the new admiration for businessmen with gold-plated toilets. For many like her, this materialistic shift betrays the community spirit of the Soviet era.

Even amid this, rural areas remain largely untouched, with some retaining their Soviet-era traditions and statues—making the divide between urban wealth and rural isolation even starker.

Examples

• Diamond-studded phones symbolize the vulgar excess of oligarchs in Elena’s view.
• Rural villages feel untouched by modern economic changes, exacerbating contrasts.
• Former Communist workers struggle to grasp their place in this capital-driven society.

9. Broken promises define the transition to a post-Soviet world.

The hope inspired by perestroika quickly turned to despair when promises of socialism with greater humanity gave way to harsh capitalism. For many, their trust was exploited by political leaders like Boris Yeltsin, whose reforms disproportionately benefited a privileged few.

Communist retrospectives paint a contrasting picture: while far from perfect, its leaders were perceived to have been stronger and more significant contributors to national growth compared to the wealthy elite now celebrated.

Old and young alike grapple with this sense of betrayal, wondering what the sacrifices of Communism were even for if only to end in chaos and inequality.

Examples

• Promises of a renewed socialism felt hollow to citizens watching oligarchs flourish.
• Generational divides highlight disillusionment with leaders like Yeltsin.
• Public nostalgia for achievements like space exploration underscores disconnection from the present.

Takeaways

1. Engage with diverse perspectives to better understand the emotional weight of historical transitions for ordinary people.
2. Reflect on how significant systemic shifts affect not only economies but also individual senses of identity and meaning.
3. Learn lessons from history to ensure that socioeconomic transitions prioritize the wellbeing of all citizens, not just privileged elites.