Super Short Summary

Lenin’s Tomb by David Remnick documents the collapse of the Soviet Union, weaving together historical data and eyewitness accounts from Remnick's experience as bureau chief for the Washington Post during the Gorbachev era. The book explores the impact of Stalin's state-sponsored terrorism on contemporary Russian society, detailing how the public's historical trauma and memories undermined Soviet propaganda and facilitated political change, culminating in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and a renewal of civic courage. The book contains graphic descriptions of inhumane acts and mass graves.