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Don’t Forget Dr. Zhivago
Oppose Putin because Russia is a nation of great culture and people
I never understood Russia until I read Boris Pasternak’s magnificent book, Dr. Zhivago. Then watched the film adaptation of the novel two or three times in a row, the version starring the great Omar Sharif and Julie Christie.
It is a tale of Russian history and struggle set in the middle of a changing nation. The country is on the cusp of the revolution, trying to step firmly beyond its monarchial past and into the modern era where a more egalitarian society tries to form.
Dr. Zhivago is also the story of Yuri Zhivago, a physician, and a poet, in a nation of some of the world’s great poets. I am a lawyer and a poet so I immediately identified with Yuri’s ability to create, love, and suffer heartache but also not be afraid to sink himself into the lives of ordinary people in his country as a public servant.
It is a universal story and an important piece of history. This is the beginning of the new Russia, the country that became America’s arch-enemy, but also, a nation seemingly on the move in the world in a positive way after the empire came apart in 1991.
But we know right now Russia is being led right now by an egotistical leader — Vladimir Putin, who has little regard for humanity…
