There can be a conspiracy, but the presence of a conspiracy is actually not an excuse for conspiracy thinking. — Masha Gessen Actually Copy Share Image
“What can a state institution teach us? In what way can I be reformed by a penal colony and you by, say,… — Masha Gessen Civic duty Copy Share Image
“It all fit. The love of power, the focus on Russia to the exclusion of the rest of the world—with an exception… — Masha Gessen Love Copy Share Image
Abstracted hatred is incredibly potent. There's never the risk of having it challenged by the reality of living human beings. — Masha Gessen Hatred Copy Share Image
... fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we are going to do with marriage when we get there-because we… — Masha Gessen Fighting Copy Share Image
St. Petersburg, under the czars, had been a grand city. It was a planned city, and it had - there were all… — Masha Gessen Apartment Copy Share Image
When totalitarian regimes are established, they at least have the illusion of the single-minded purpose. But once they establish the stature that's… — Masha Gessen Illusion Copy Share Image
To effectively create the image of an enemy you have to show first of all that the enemy is extremely dangerous, but… — Masha Gessen Create Copy Share Image
Russia, at the start of the 21st century, at least in its larger cities, very much resembled the United States of the… — Masha Gessen Being Copy Share Image
It's not just that both Putin and Trump lie, it is that they lie in the same way and for the same… — Masha Gessen Lie Copy Share Image
There's another piece of legislation in Russia that would make "allowing for nontraditional sexual relations" a cause for removing parental rights, and… — Masha Gessen Children Copy Share Image
One of the most famous lines in contemporary Russian poetry is "Erica makes four copies and that's enough." That's the ethos we're… — Masha Gessen Book Copy Share Image
I think Putin's popularity was genuine when he first came to power. He was seen as a welcome relief from the Yeltsin… — Masha Gessen Era Copy Share Image
Putin set out to build a mafia state. He didn't set out to build a totalitarian regime. But he was building his… — Masha Gessen Building Copy Share Image
“No one is easier to manipulate than a man who exaggerates his own influence.” — Masha Gessen Power Copy Share Image
Donald Trump ran for autocrat, he didn't run for president. The first thing in autocrat does is take over the media, or… — Masha Gessen Donald trump Copy Share Image
“Half of the population is behind bars and the other half is guarding them,' Russians have said of their country since the… — Masha Gessen Russia Copy Share Image
The reason Vladimir Putin released Pussy Riot, the Greenpeace activists who were kidnapped in international waters and kept in prison for two… — Masha Gessen Activist Copy Share Image
I have a little hope that the nuclear holocaust doesn't happen. — Masha Gessen Happen Copy Share Image
I think that Russia was like a lot of other countries, a lot of empires, in being a tyranny up until the… — Masha Gessen Country Copy Share Image
You know, I don't walk home alone at night. If I drive into our courtyard after dark, I ask my partner to… — Masha Gessen Alone Copy Share Image
