In Masha Gessen's latest book, _The Future Is History_, follow the lives of four people born at what promised to be the dawn of democracy. In this talk filmed at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Alexandra Vacroux, Executive Director at the[ Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies,](https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/ "") talks with Gessen about Russia's history, identity narrative, and the current political climate. (Image: book cover)
Masha Gessen is a Russian and American journalist, author, and activist who writes in both Russian and English and has built a career in journalism in Russia and the United States. Gessen identifies as a lesbian and has written extensively on LGBT rights and help founded the Pink Triangle Campaign in Moscow. She has been described as "Russia's leading LGBT rights activist." Gessen voluntarily left Russia in 2013 when tightening anti-gay and lesbian policies threatened her family.
Alexandra Vacroux is Executive Director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. Her scholarly work addresses many Russian and Eurasian policy issues and she teaches popular courses on the comparative politics of Eurasia and post-Soviet conflict.