Poring over his grandparents' memoirs, grainy photographs of his distinguished ancestors and relating family lore passed from father to son, Michael Ignatieff begins a moving journey to come to terms with his inheritance that is bound up with the violent tumult of Russian history. With great care and complexity, Ignatieff reconstructs a vanished way of life. Beginning in the opulent court of Catherine the Great, he traces his family's rise to great influence in the imperial regime of Tsar Nicholas II before the country is swept up in revolution, civil war and exile. A profound meditation on rootlessness and belonging, The Russian Album explores both how we are formed by our pasts, but also how we must write our own stories in the present.

About the Author
Michael Ignatieff is a writer, historian and former politician. He has taught at Cambridge, Oxford, the University of Toronto and Harvard and is currently university professor at Central European University in Vienna. His books, which have been translated into twelve languages, include Blood and Belonging, Isaiah Berlin, The Needs of Strangers and The Russian Album, all published or forthcoming with Pushkin Press, and On Consolation.

Reviews
'A vividly fascinating account by a gifted writer who sweeps back the curtain from the past, revealing it full of color and life' - New York Times Book Review

'This beautifully written book . . . is about tenderness, courage, and a sublime life-force' - Observer

'A poignant family memoir, a fitting close to Russian life before the 'red curtain of the revolution'' - LA Times



Book Information
ISBN 9781782279068
Author Michael Ignatieff
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Pushkin Press
Publisher Pushkin Press