Smithsonian

FINALIST—ESSAYS AND CRITICISM

The Ellie judges described “Whatever Happened to the Russian Revolution?” as “a masterful combination of travel writing and historical investigation.” Ian Frasier begins this journey through Russia not at a place but in the past—at the Decembrist uprising in 1825—then explores the lasting impact of the October Revolution of 1917. “Yet,” the judges continued, “this is also an alarmingly relevant political essay about a populist uprising hijacked by disciplined, ruthless and uncompromising ideologues.” A longtime contributor to The New Yorker, Frasier first explored Russia in Travels in Siberia, published in 2010. Earlier books include his account of the American West, Great Plains, and the collection Dating Your Mom. An official publication of the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian along with Smithsonian.com provides a singular chronicle of the everyday richness of our past and future.