Russians are stereotypicaly depressed, but the phenomenon that Masha Gessen documents on Dying Russians takes that to a whole new, and very morbid, level. At the heart of socialism is the idea that the purpose of the individual is to serve the greater whole, as opposed to capitalism, where self-interest motivates the individual. The regime change that took place in Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union might have changed the politics and economics of the country, but it happened so quickly that the culture had no time at all to adapt. Not only was this individualistic economic system suddenly thrust upon the Russian people, but also the volatility and inequality that came with it. One benefit of socialism is that the masses are all very economically equal. Movie stars aren’t driving Lamborghini’s past the destitute homeless in the Soviet Union, within worker communities, everyone is either suffering or prospering together, making it easier to share suffering. But the economic volatility of Shock Therapy allowed opportunistic Russians to get ahead and leave many behind, something that the Russian people were not ready to experience. Trying to take the Soviet Union and transform it into a new country with new values alienated many, especially older individuals who had their planned-out lives yanked out from under them and left to fend for themselves. Trying to make Russia something it was the very opposite of is exactly how we have ended up with Putin and his party now exerting near-authoritarian control of the country. Rather than let them evolve their country to accommodate capitalism and democracy, Shock Therapy proved to stoke resentment and nostalgia for times long past.