The Other Side of Russia

Travel to post-Soviet Siberia and the Russian Far East with author Sharon Hudgins as she takes readers on a personal adventure through the Asian side of Russia - an area closed to most Westerners and many Russians prior to the 1990s. Few people have ridden the Trans-Siberian railroad in winter, stood on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, feasted with the Siberian Buryats, or lived in the ""high-rise villages"" of Vladivostok and Irkutsk. One of only a handful of American women who have lived and worked in this part of the world, Hudgins debunks many of the myths and misconceptions that surround this ""other side of Russia"". She depicts the details of everyday life, set within their cultural and historical context - local customs, foods and festivals, as well as urban life, the education system, and the developing market economy in post-Soviet Siberia and the Russian Far East. Hudgins describes the multi-course meals washed down with champagne and vodka, often eaten by candlelight when the electricity failed, the hors d'oeuvres made of sea slugs and roulades of raw horse liver. She finds herself a guest at Christmas parties, New Year's banquets, Easter dinners and birthday celebrations. Throughout the book, Asian Russia's natural beauty, thriving cities and proud people shine from the pages, proving that it is not only a land of harsh winters and vast uninhabited spaces, but also a home to millions of Russians citizens who live and work in modern metropolises and enjoy a rich cultural and social life.