Sankya, Prilepin’s first novel that is widely considered his best, draws on his own experiences to depict life among young political extremists. Sasha “Sankya” Tishin, and his friends are part of a generation stuck between eras. They don’t remember the Soviet Union, but they also don’t believe in the promise of opportunity for all in the corrupt, capitalistic new Russia. They belong to an extremist group that wants to build a better Russia by tearing down the existing one. When they go too far, Sasha finds himself testing the elemental force of the protest movement in Russia and in himself.