PUBLISHED AFTER HER HIRED KILLING AT MOSCOW,IN THE ELEVATOR OF HER VERY APARTMENT, BY UNKNOWN ASSAISINS, AND THE MYSTERY OF THE REAL MASTERMIND BEHIND HER ASSAISINATION STILL NOT SOLVED, A RUSSIAN DIARY HAS BEEN TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL RUSSIAN JOURNALIST, ANNA POLITKOVASKAYA; TRANSLATED BY ARCH TAIT IN ENGLISH, IT HAS A FORWARD BY JON SNOW. THE BOOK HAS BEEN BROADLY DIVIDED INTO THREE MAJOR PARTS ,OR CHAPTERS, COVERING A PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 2003 TO AUGUST 2005, AND HAVE BEEN TITLED AS PER THE POLITICAL SCENARIO IN RUSSIA, TO UNFOLD THE MALPRACTICES IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, POLITICAL DEPRESSION, AND THE DISCONTENTED SUMMER AND WINTER. IN THE LAST CHAPTER, POLITKOVASKAYA HAS DONE SOME LOUD THINKING, ABOUT HER OBSESSION TO EXPOSE THE CORRUPTION, CRIPPLED SOCIETY, INACTIVE YOUNG GENERATION, AND A STATE OF DISPAIR. A TRUE AND THEREFORE, HAIR-RAISING ACCOUNT OF THE ATROCITIES OF WAR IN CHECHNYA, BESLAN SCHOOL SIEGE, AND DEPRIVATION OF PEOPLE FROM THE BASIC NECESSITIES , HUMAN RIGHTS, UNFOLDS BEFORE THE READER. POLITKOVSKAYA , WHO WORKED AS A JOURNALIST FOR NOVAYA GAZETA, WENT OUT OF THE WAY TO GIVE A FIRST-HAND REPORT AND ANALYSIS OF PUTIN`S GREED FOR POWER , BY A CLEVER MANIPULATION OF THE MEDIA, AND AN EYE-WASH ,TO BAFFLE THE GULLIBLE,VULNERABLE LEADERS, AND PUBLIC AT LARGE. THE VOICE OF THE ORGANISATIONS PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS , WAS RUTHLESSLY CURBED , AND ANNA TRIED HER LEVEL BEST TO CREATE AN AWARENESS AMONG THE ACTIVISTS. AFTER THREATS TO HER LIFE, AND EVEN INCIDENTS OF ATTEMPTS TO POISON HER ON HER FLIGHT , WHILE SHE WAS ON HER MISSION, SHE NEVER GAVE UP , AND STAKED HER SAFETY , FINALLY LOSING IT TO THE GUN SHOTS FIRED AT HER ON OCOBER 7TH 2006. SHE HAS WON MANY AWARDS ,FOR HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO JOURNALISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENERAL , AND SERVICE TO THE MANKIND IN PARTICULAR. MOST EXTRAORDINARY AUTHOR , WHO HAS WRITTEN EVEN OTHER EYE OPENERS , LIKE PUTIN`S RUSSIA, LIVES THROUGH HER BOOKS. SURPRISINGLY, A RUSSIAN DIARY COULD NOT BE PUBLISHED IN RUSSIA TILL DATE.
व्लादिमीर पुतिनच्या राजवटीतल्या, घायाळ करणाऱ्या आणि हादरवून टाकणाऱ्या सत्यांना अ‍ॅना पोलितकोवस्क्याने तिच्या आधीच्या आणि या डायरीत ज्या प्रकारे उघड केलं आहे, त्यावरून तिला केव्हाना केव्हा कोणीतरी मारून टाकणारच होतं आणि एका प्रकारे ती एवढे दिवस जगली, हाच एक चमत्कार म्हणावा लागेल!
सर्वांत आश्चर्यकारक गोष्ट तर ही म्हणावी लागेल की, सोव्हिएतनंतरच्या अस्थिरतेच्या काळात एक अशी पत्रकार उभी राहिली, जिने जवळजवळ एकहाती चेचन्याची कुप्रसिद्ध दु:खान्तिका, तसंच आधुनिक रशियाची गैरकृत्यं जगाच्या नजरेसमोर आणली.
राजकीय आणि मानवी हक्कांची व्यवस्थेतच मोठ्या प्रमाणावर घडून आलेली पायमल्ली, याचा तिने बुरखा फाडला आणि `रशियन डायरी`त केलेल्या नोंदीतून तिने ते काम सुरूच ठेवलं. हीच ती डायरी, डिसेंबर २००३ ते २००५ च्या अखेरपर्यंत भ्रष्टाचाराने बरबटलेल्या पार्लमेंटरी निवडणुका आणि बेसलानच्या शाळेवर झालेल्या हल्ल्यानंतर उठलेला गदारोळ यांच्या नोंदी ठेवणारी!
अ‍ॅना पोलितकोवस्क्याला जगू देण्यात आलं नसतं, याची जणूकाही भविष्यवाणीच तिची `ए रशियन डायरी` वाचताना झाल्यासारखी भासते. तिच्या मॉस्को येथील अपार्टमेंट ब्लॉकच्या जिन्यात, सुपारी घेऊन एका भाडोत्री मारेक-याने केलेली तिची भयानक हत्या घडल्याचं तुम्हाला ठाऊक असल्याने तिचा हा शेवट अटळ होता, हे प्रकर्षाने जाणवतं.