After the "Mother of God, Drive Putin Away" protest, Maria Alyokhina became one of the most famous political prisoners in the world. Since then, she has come a long way, and this book is the story of that journey. "Political: How to Survive in Russia" is a diary of sorts, revealing the events of the last pre-war years and the terrifying year of 2022 through the eyes of an activist who perceives any injustice as an insult, and violent pressure or repressive laws as a personal challenge. Behind the newspaper headlines and news reports, powerful emotions emerge: fears, grievances, despair, friendship, fearlessness, love, death—several characters in this book perished in the war unleashed by Russia on different sides of the front.

This is the final part of a trilogy (the first and second have already been published in English by Penguin Books, and will be available in Russian e-book format).

The illustrations for the book were drawn by Maria's son, Philipp Demidov.