In Russian Pendulum, Alena Ledeneva takes readers on a compelling journey to Russia, where tradition, modernity, power and people collide. Through the prism of ambivalence, the author unveils patterns that have shaped Russia’s politics and society for centuries, pointing to an intricate system of informal networks that are held together by practices of cooptation, control and camouflage.

For readers seeking to look beyond stereotypes, this book provides a brief yet nuanced exploration of Russia’s complexity and unpredictability. The ever-moving Russian pendulum dwells on paradoxes and the hidden practices that resolve them. Patterns such as doublethink, double standards, zigzags, cascades, waves and tides are captured in the author’s own artworks that introduce each chapter.

Nine musical compositions by Benjamin Woodgates add a further dimension, exploring these paradoxes, practices and patterns, and realising them in sound.

Drawing on the Global Informality Project (www.in-formality.com), the artwork and the music, Russian Pendulum establishes connections between Russia’s distinctive paradoxes and broader patterns of informality found worldwide. It is ideal for students, scholars and anyone seeking to understand hidden yet increasingly powerful forces.