Gershkovich Details Psychological Toll of Russian Detention in New Memoir
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia for 16 months, has released a new memoir detailing the psychological trauma of his imprisonment. While freed in August 2024 via a major U.S.-Russian prisoner swap, Gershkovich reports that the mental effects of confinement persisted for months after his release. He describes suffering from nightmares, panic attacks, and severe anxiety triggered by everyday sounds, such as jangling keys. In a new interview, Gershkovich states that his captors avoided physical torture, knowing he was a bargaining chip for President Vladimir Putin, but that the psychological damage was profound. His new book, 'This Cursed Beautiful Land,' frames his personal ordeal as a reflection of the broader repression faced by the Russian population under the current regime.
