Dana's Reviews > I Love Russia: Reporting from a Lost Country

The title is very poignant as a person may love his/her country despite all the fucked up things that the government of that country may commit. Elena Kostyuchenko is an excellent journalist with a solid reputation. There is no evidence that she spread lies. So your review is written based on your political bias, it’s quite likely you have not even read it.

Anna wrote: "The title is very poignant as a person may love his/her country despite all the fucked up things that the government of that country may commit. Elena Kostyuchenko is an excellent journalist with a..."

there is nothing poignant about the love of a bloody empire. only the desire for the collapse of this empire is normal.

I'm wondering if you ever opened the book at all - what you're saying is a contadiction in each word.

Shame on you for writing this review

To quote the author: “There were no doubts, but, of course, there were reflections. I almost immediately realized what this book’s title should be. And it is clear that it is problematic, especially in 2023. But it felt important for me to say this. Putin’s propaganda is trying to convince us: if you love your country, go and kill Ukrainians. If you love your country, keep quiet. If you love your country, obey. If you love your country and the country asks you to lie, lie. And I don’t think that love requires blood, lies, silence, submission. I want to destroy this connection imposed by Putin. It is precisely because you love Russia that you cannot agree with this. Love requires life. Love requires looking closely at what you love. The more you love, the more closely you look. There is nothing shameful in love, and there is nothing shameful in talking about love.”

Thank you to the commenters--sorry, not to the reviewer. Do your research, people--if all you can say is that it is wrong to say "I love Russia" you obviously got no further than the cover.

I’m afraid you have completely missed the point.

Truly sorry but where exactly did you find lies? I mean she writes about Crimea and how it’s occupied by Russia, about how putin started a war in Donetsk and Lugansk, about propaganda and corruption and cruelty…or do you think that putin is “saving” us? Asking as a Ukrainian citizen in Ukraine

I am so shocked to see such a horrible review from someone who is clearly not at all familiar with the author and the book.

Grow up.

Let me guess. Putin sympathiser who watches RT?

Oh no, I get it, you haven’t read it and have missed the point. This book is anti Putin.

Literally what she is doing is the exact same thing that Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya did with her work in Chechnya as well as Russia for the same exact newspaper in the early 2000s. Anna was assassinated by Putin for what she wrote about Russia. Tell me you know nothing about Novaya Gazeta and it’s history without telling me. 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️

Take the stupid review down

Ah, yes, another "expert" who hasn't read the book.

You obviously haven’t read the book, and should be deeply ashamed of yourself. She travelled TO REPORT ON the occupation. She can never return to Russia. She has survived a poisoning attempt by Russia. The title extremely clearly does not mean “I love the current Russian government”. I actually cannot believe this (and the deeply silly people who liked your review, who also clearly haven’t read it, heard of the author, or her newspaper).

Dana, like mentioned here by multiple people, you clearly haven't read the book and understood how the author strongly manages to convey a meaningful and subtle message with her choice of title. I would take this down and put my real opinions after reading the book. It is too unfair for someone who literally risks her life to report the truth.

WTF: how did this pointless review get so many likes?

Hmm