North Korea: Yesterday and Today

Historical Context and Significance

Andrei Lankov's «North Korea: Yesterday and Today» offers a rare and profound immersion into the enigmatic world of one of the most closed countries of our time. The author, with unique experience of living and researching in Korea, masterfully unveils the intricate fabric of historical twists, ideological transformations, and the everyday reality of North Korean society. Lankov not only documents the evolution of the regime but also subtly captures the nuances of cultural codes that shape the collective consciousness of the nation. His work has become an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the origins and paradoxes of North Korean identity, as well as the country's influence on the political map of East Asia. The book has significantly impacted the perception of North Korea in Russian and global humanities, contributing to a more balanced and multifaceted view of a state where history and modernity are woven into a peculiar and unsettling pattern.