The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book

"The Zhivago Affair" explores the conflict between the Soviet Union and the West over Boris Pasternak's novel "Doctor Zhivago," which was considered subversive. Published in 1957, the book depicted life in Russia during the revolution and critiqued the Soviet regime. The Kremlin sought to suppress it, while the CIA viewed it as a tool for undermining Soviet authority. The U.S. secretly helped distribute "Doctor Zhivago" in the East, turning it into a symbol of freedom. This clash highlights the cultural battleground of the Cold War, where literature became an unexpected weapon in ideological warfare.