Pushkin House has announced the six books shortlisted for its prestigious £10,000 Book Prize, with Prof. Alena Ledeneva’s Russian Pendulum: Paradoxes, Practices and Patterns among the selected titles.
In Russian Pendulum, Alena Ledeneva takes readers on a compelling journey to Russia, where tradition, modernity, power, and people collide. Through the lens of ambivalence, the author unveils patterns that have shaped Russia’s politics and society for centuries, pointing to an intricate system of informal networks that are held together by practices of co-optation, control, and camouflage.
The prize will be awarded to the winner by the jury during the Award. The ceremony will be held in September 2026.
Huge congratulations to Prof. Ledeneva!