Prez Mahama Unveils Russian Language Translation of “My First Coup D’etat” in Moscow

Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, launched the Russian language translation of his memoir, My First Coup D’etat and Other Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa, at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Published in July 2012, Mahama’s memoir chronicles his upbringing as a young African boy and delves into the history of Ghana and Africa during periods of political and economic instability between the 1970s and 1990s. The book has also been translated into Portuguese.

During the event, Mahama highlighted a chapter he believed would resonate most with the Russian audience, recounting his time as a student at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow during the era of Gorbachev and Perestroika—the ‘restructuring’ of Russian society and economy.

He shared fond memories of his philosophy lecturer, Mr. Gudoshnik, who initially hesitated to teach the orthodox philosophy of socialism as per the textbook. Instead, Mr. Gudoshnik opted for a more interactive approach, saying, “We’re going to learn from each other. I’ll tell you what’s in the textbook, and you tell me what you know and what you think about it.”

Mahama expressed gratitude to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Comrade Dmitriy Savelyev (a member of the Russian State Duma), the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Friendship Association, and his old friends and comrades who helped in translating the book and organizing the launch event. He also acknowledged his friend and book editor, Nana Ama Danquah, who encouraged him to share his stories for the benefit of society.

The former Ghanaian president encouraged the audience to read the book to satisfy their curiosity and discover the African story told in an easy-to-read and journalistic form. Mahama expressed hope that the book would find a place in Russian academia for those interested in learning more about Africa.