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Just Send Me Word: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Gulag
A heroic love story and an unprecedented inside view of one of Stalin's most notorious labor camps, based on a remarkable cache of letters smuggled in and out of the Gulag.
"I went to get the letters for our friends, and couldn't help but feel a little envious, I didn't expect anything for myself. And suddenly―there was my name, and, as if it was alive, your handwriting."
In 1946, after five years as a prisoner―first as a Soviet POW in Nazi concentration camps, then as a deportee (falsely accused of treason) in the Arctic Gulag―twenty-nine-year-old Lev Mishchenko unexpectedly received a letter from Sveta, the sweetheart he had hardly dared hope was still alive. Amazingly, over the next eight years the lovers managed to exchange more than 1,500 messages, and even to smuggle Sveta herself into the camp for secret meetings. Their recently discovered correspondence is the only known real-time record of life in Stalin's Gulag, unmediated and uncensored.
"I went to get the letters for our friends, and couldn't help but feel a little envious, I didn't expect anything for myself. And suddenly―there was my name, and, as if it was alive, your handwriting."
In 1946, after five years as a prisoner―first as a Soviet POW in Nazi concentration camps, then as a deportee (falsely accused of treason) in the Arctic Gulag―twenty-nine-year-old Lev Mishchenko unexpectedly received a letter from Sveta, the sweetheart he had hardly dared hope was still alive. Amazingly, over the next eight years the lovers managed to exchange more than 1,500 messages, and even to smuggle Sveta herself into the camp for secret meetings. Their recently discovered correspondence is the only known real-time record of life in Stalin's Gulag, unmediated and uncensored.
Orlando Figes, "the great storyteller of modern Russian historians" (Financial Times), draws on Lev and Sveta's letters as well as KGB archives and recent interviews to brilliantly reconstruct the broader world in which their story unfolded. With the powerful narrative drive of a novel, Just Send Me Word reveals a passion and endurance that triumphed over the tragic forces of history.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
69 people are currently reading
1960 people want to read
About the author
Orlando Figes
21 books885 followersOrlando Figes is an English historian of Russia, and a professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
June 21, 2019
This book will appeal to those interested in learning more about life in the gulags. It is non-fiction and is based on 1,246 letters delivered to the Moscow Memorial Society in 2007. The letters were sent from July 1946 to July 1954 between Lev Mishchenko and Svetlana Ivanova. Lev had been imprisoned in the Pechora labor camp for eight years and four months, classified as a political prisoner. Lev and Svetlana, both born in 1917, had met in 1935 at Moscow University. Both studied physics. They fell in love. When Germany attacked Russia in 1941, Lev went off to war. During the war Lev was incarcerated at a POW camp and was forced to do translation for the Germans, the result being that after the war he was sent to the arctic gulag named above.
The letters were uncensored, smuggled in and out via free workers at the Pechora labor camp. 647 were written by Lev and sent to Svetlana, 599 from her to him. The letters are a remarkable find. We are made privy to them via this book. Not only did Svetlana and Lev exchange letters, Svetlana visited Lev at the camp. There are additional notebooks, diaries and photos.
Life in the camp, life in Moscow after the war and the psychological effects of living under Stalin’s totalitarian reign are revealed with startling impact. Of course, physical deprivations suffered are revealed too, but it is primarily the psychological impact that hit home for me. Observing how Lev and Svetlana were shaped by their experiences will leave the reader thinking.
There is little in this book about either Lev’s or Svetlana’s weak points. These are mentioned, but not frequently. It is most often they themselves who find fault with their own behavior. Rarely do they allow themselves to express anger, which is surprising! How does a relationship, sustained primarily through letters, survive? I wish the book had spoken more of their relationship as a married couple living together, after Lev's release from the camp.
Lev was freed July 17, 1954. They were married in 1955 and came to have two children. He died in 2008 and she in 2010.
Coded words used in the letters are explained, and it is never hard to distinguish between who is who. This can be difficult with Russian names, but it isn’t here. The book is well constructed. A concise epilog ties up what happens to Lev, Svetlana and their family, as well as other prisoners at the labor camp. The author’s thoughts about the couple’s love for each other, their behavior and relationship are summarized quickly and intelligently.
James Langton narrates the audiobook. He uses different intonations for Lev's and Svetlana’s letters. The rhythm of the narration is a bit strange, but you get used to this. The speed is uneven; too fast at times. I have given the narration three stars. It’s good.
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The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia 4 stars
The letters were uncensored, smuggled in and out via free workers at the Pechora labor camp. 647 were written by Lev and sent to Svetlana, 599 from her to him. The letters are a remarkable find. We are made privy to them via this book. Not only did Svetlana and Lev exchange letters, Svetlana visited Lev at the camp. There are additional notebooks, diaries and photos.
Life in the camp, life in Moscow after the war and the psychological effects of living under Stalin’s totalitarian reign are revealed with startling impact. Of course, physical deprivations suffered are revealed too, but it is primarily the psychological impact that hit home for me. Observing how Lev and Svetlana were shaped by their experiences will leave the reader thinking.
There is little in this book about either Lev’s or Svetlana’s weak points. These are mentioned, but not frequently. It is most often they themselves who find fault with their own behavior. Rarely do they allow themselves to express anger, which is surprising! How does a relationship, sustained primarily through letters, survive? I wish the book had spoken more of their relationship as a married couple living together, after Lev's release from the camp.
Lev was freed July 17, 1954. They were married in 1955 and came to have two children. He died in 2008 and she in 2010.
Coded words used in the letters are explained, and it is never hard to distinguish between who is who. This can be difficult with Russian names, but it isn’t here. The book is well constructed. A concise epilog ties up what happens to Lev, Svetlana and their family, as well as other prisoners at the labor camp. The author’s thoughts about the couple’s love for each other, their behavior and relationship are summarized quickly and intelligently.
James Langton narrates the audiobook. He uses different intonations for Lev's and Svetlana’s letters. The rhythm of the narration is a bit strange, but you get used to this. The speed is uneven; too fast at times. I have given the narration three stars. It’s good.
******************************
The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia 4 stars
November 25, 2022
O poveste extraordinară!
Este vorba despre 1.246 de scrisori - cercetărorii susțin că este singura corespondență completă din istoria Gulagului, care nici nu a fost supusă cenzurii (cu excepția celei autoimpuse) -, corespondența dintre Svetlana Ivanova și Lev Mișcenko, acesta din urmă condamnat la zece ani de muncă pentru că fusese prizonier la germani în timpul războiului - ceea ce în ochii Moscovei însemna că era „trădător de patrie”.
Cei doi s-au cunoscut în timpul studenției, despărțiți de război, apoi de Gulag, reușesc totuși să rămână aproape prin scrisori. Svet (cum i se adresează de multe ori Lev însemnă lumină în rusă) călătorește incognito până la Peciora - lagărul în care era închis Lev - și intră clandestin în lagăr, doar pentru a-l vizita. Dacă ar fi fost prinsă cel mai probabil ar fi fost la rândul ei condamnată la câțiva ani de Gulag. Pur și simplu incredibil curajul (sau nebunia) acestei femei.
Figes narează povestea celor doi oferind foarte multe citate din scrisori. Acest stil poate fi greoi și am văzut că sunt unii care chiar asta critică la carte - expunerea autorului, care poate părea că intervine abuziv în dialogul celor doi. Dar nu văd o alternativă. Cele peste o mie de scrisori sunt de multe ori greu de înțeles chiar de către specialiști - au fost folosite multe cuvinte prescurtate, aluzii, metafore etc. pentru a ascunde adevăratul sens al celor spuse în cazul interceptării scrisorilor. Apoi, mai este și problema contextului, în lipsa căruia nu știu câți cititori ar fi înțeles ceva. Publicarea simplă a scrisorilor, cu explicații în notele de subsol ar fi poate un document interesant, dar pe lângă miile de pagini ale unui asemenea document, câți oameni din publicul larg ar fi interesați de așa ceva?
Este vorba despre 1.246 de scrisori - cercetărorii susțin că este singura corespondență completă din istoria Gulagului, care nici nu a fost supusă cenzurii (cu excepția celei autoimpuse) -, corespondența dintre Svetlana Ivanova și Lev Mișcenko, acesta din urmă condamnat la zece ani de muncă pentru că fusese prizonier la germani în timpul războiului - ceea ce în ochii Moscovei însemna că era „trădător de patrie”.
Cei doi s-au cunoscut în timpul studenției, despărțiți de război, apoi de Gulag, reușesc totuși să rămână aproape prin scrisori. Svet (cum i se adresează de multe ori Lev însemnă lumină în rusă) călătorește incognito până la Peciora - lagărul în care era închis Lev - și intră clandestin în lagăr, doar pentru a-l vizita. Dacă ar fi fost prinsă cel mai probabil ar fi fost la rândul ei condamnată la câțiva ani de Gulag. Pur și simplu incredibil curajul (sau nebunia) acestei femei.
Figes narează povestea celor doi oferind foarte multe citate din scrisori. Acest stil poate fi greoi și am văzut că sunt unii care chiar asta critică la carte - expunerea autorului, care poate părea că intervine abuziv în dialogul celor doi. Dar nu văd o alternativă. Cele peste o mie de scrisori sunt de multe ori greu de înțeles chiar de către specialiști - au fost folosite multe cuvinte prescurtate, aluzii, metafore etc. pentru a ascunde adevăratul sens al celor spuse în cazul interceptării scrisorilor. Apoi, mai este și problema contextului, în lipsa căruia nu știu câți cititori ar fi înțeles ceva. Publicarea simplă a scrisorilor, cu explicații în notele de subsol ar fi poate un document interesant, dar pe lângă miile de pagini ale unui asemenea document, câți oameni din publicul larg ar fi interesați de așa ceva?
August 24, 2018
.
می خواهم برای مدتها جوان بمانم"
"بی اعتنا به قوانین فیزیک
می خواهم برای مدتها جوان بمانم"
"بی اعتنا به قوانین فیزیک
March 30, 2025
O idee interesantã bazatã pe o poveste de viațã adevãratã. Doi oameni care s-au aşteptat ṣi s-au cãutat ani de zile în condiții grele de sãrãcie, rãzboi, deportare, Gulag. Dacã asta e dragostea, atunci puțini dintre noi suntem în stare de atâta rãbdare ṣi devotament.
Îmi pare bine cã am primit aceastã carte în dar, altfel cred cã aṣ fi ocolit-o pe motiv de rusia. Ca sã nu mai zic cã povestea este bine scrisã, un puzzle ingenuos de documentare meticuloasã ṣi de romantism bine dozat. Orlando Figes e un must read, imo.
Îmi pare bine cã am primit aceastã carte în dar, altfel cred cã aṣ fi ocolit-o pe motiv de rusia. Ca sã nu mai zic cã povestea este bine scrisã, un puzzle ingenuos de documentare meticuloasã ṣi de romantism bine dozat. Orlando Figes e un must read, imo.
July 24, 2014
It's not easy giving 2 stars to a story based on such personal hardship and suffering but that's what I'm going to have to do. While my heart goes out to those who suffered through the Gulag sytem, including both my grandparents, I just didn't find this author's writing style all that engaging. I found it a chore to pick up and looked forward to moving it off my shelf. It is no fault of the two lovers in this story, in fact, I felt sad for all they had to go through. It's the writing of this story that did me in. I think if you are new to learning about the Gulag and someone's personal experience during that time, this may work fine for you. Having read Anne Applebaum's Gulag: A History really set the bar high for any other books I read about the Gulag.
November 19, 2013
I love you, I'll wait for you, come back.
Queste parole famose continuavano a tornarmi in mente mentre leggevo Just Send Me Word. Qui però non si tratta di un romanzo e di parole accuratamente scelte da un autore, ma di una storia vera, eccezionale, per il risolvimento, per la durata, per la pazienza.
I due protagonisti, Lev e Sveta, sono giovani moscoviti con molte speranze quando la guerra scoppia nel 1941 e Lev viene mandato al fronte. Viene catturato dall'esercito tedesco e spende quasi tutto il suo tempo da soldato come prigioniero. Alla fine di quella che in Russia viene chiamata Grande Guerra Patriottica, invece di venire ringraziato viene accusato di aver fatto la spia per i tedeschi e, dopo un lungo processo di venti minuti, viene spedito nel gulag di Pečora, poco al di sotto del circolo polare artico, con una sentenza di dieci anni come prigioniero politico (la categoria peggiore, vessata dai criminali comuni, con scarse speranze di riduzioni di sentenza, e con marchio - letterale, sul passaporto - che ti segue anche dopo il rilascio).
Sveta, a Mosca, aspetta. Si laurea, trova lavoro, fa carriera, ma ripete continuamente che la sua vita è in sospeso, in attesa di poterla cominciare con Lev. Neanche una volta il sentimento per Lev si affievolisce, neanche una volta pensa di abbandonarlo, di andare avanti, di cominciare senza di lui. E gli scrive:
I want to tell you just three words - two of them are pronouns and the third is a verb (to be read in all the tenses simultaneously: past, present and future).
Sveta è una donna determinata: nonostante la depressione (di cui soffre da prima del distacco), la solitudine, l'irritazione nei confronti di chi ai suoi occhi ha tutto ma non è felice, la frustrazione, la paura di non riuscire a realizzare il sogno di diventare madre, resiste, e scrive (In totale la loro corrispondenza ammonta a circa 1500 lettere, alcune spedite tramite la normale posta, altre fatte arrivare tramite amici, lavoratori liberi nel gulag, e la cosa straordinaria è che non vengono sottoposte a censura), ma non solo: nel 1947, senza aver visto Lev per anni, decide di andarlo a trovare. Non ne ha alcun diritto, ed entra di nascosto, senza pensare alle possibili conseguenze. Negli anni le circostanze migliorano e riesce ad ottenere dei veri permessi di visita, e per cinque anni le vacanze estive di Sveta consistono in viaggi di lavoro che le permettano di proseguire fino al Gulag per vedere Lev per pochi giorni.
Nel 1954, finalmente libero, Lev torna e, senza trambusto, sposa Sveta.
Orlando Figes è uno dei miei scrittori preferiti, che ha già raccontato il Gulag e in generale la vita sotto Stalin, sempre in attesa di qualcosa di buono (il ritorno di una persona cara) o di cattivo (che l'NKVD bussasse alla porta), in The Whisperers. Questa volta il libro è naturalmente più "felice", non solo per il lieto fine, ma perché i protagonisti sono due persone fuori dal comune, che si tengono per mano nonostante la distanza, che si fanno forza a vicenda e, nonostante l'attesa, vivono insieme, se non fisicamente in uno spazio mentale comune. E per via della predominanza delle lettere e quindi delle parole di Lev e Sveta, l'autore si fa più indietro stavolta rispetto ai suoi altri lavori (che pure sono sempre ricchi di testimonianze). Amo Figes perché insieme alla storia racconta sempre le storie di persone comuni e della loro vita di fronte ai grandi avvenimenti che le spingono in tutte le direzioni; perché la dimensione personale è sempre fondamentale nel suo racconto. In questo caso forse l'impatto emotivo (nonostante la commozione) non è allo stesso livello di The Whisperers, in cui la cappa staliniana premeva su tutto, ma rimane comunque una bellissima storia, che meritava di essere raccontata.
Queste parole famose continuavano a tornarmi in mente mentre leggevo Just Send Me Word. Qui però non si tratta di un romanzo e di parole accuratamente scelte da un autore, ma di una storia vera, eccezionale, per il risolvimento, per la durata, per la pazienza.
I due protagonisti, Lev e Sveta, sono giovani moscoviti con molte speranze quando la guerra scoppia nel 1941 e Lev viene mandato al fronte. Viene catturato dall'esercito tedesco e spende quasi tutto il suo tempo da soldato come prigioniero. Alla fine di quella che in Russia viene chiamata Grande Guerra Patriottica, invece di venire ringraziato viene accusato di aver fatto la spia per i tedeschi e, dopo un lungo processo di venti minuti, viene spedito nel gulag di Pečora, poco al di sotto del circolo polare artico, con una sentenza di dieci anni come prigioniero politico (la categoria peggiore, vessata dai criminali comuni, con scarse speranze di riduzioni di sentenza, e con marchio - letterale, sul passaporto - che ti segue anche dopo il rilascio).
Sveta, a Mosca, aspetta. Si laurea, trova lavoro, fa carriera, ma ripete continuamente che la sua vita è in sospeso, in attesa di poterla cominciare con Lev. Neanche una volta il sentimento per Lev si affievolisce, neanche una volta pensa di abbandonarlo, di andare avanti, di cominciare senza di lui. E gli scrive:
I want to tell you just three words - two of them are pronouns and the third is a verb (to be read in all the tenses simultaneously: past, present and future).
Sveta è una donna determinata: nonostante la depressione (di cui soffre da prima del distacco), la solitudine, l'irritazione nei confronti di chi ai suoi occhi ha tutto ma non è felice, la frustrazione, la paura di non riuscire a realizzare il sogno di diventare madre, resiste, e scrive (In totale la loro corrispondenza ammonta a circa 1500 lettere, alcune spedite tramite la normale posta, altre fatte arrivare tramite amici, lavoratori liberi nel gulag, e la cosa straordinaria è che non vengono sottoposte a censura), ma non solo: nel 1947, senza aver visto Lev per anni, decide di andarlo a trovare. Non ne ha alcun diritto, ed entra di nascosto, senza pensare alle possibili conseguenze. Negli anni le circostanze migliorano e riesce ad ottenere dei veri permessi di visita, e per cinque anni le vacanze estive di Sveta consistono in viaggi di lavoro che le permettano di proseguire fino al Gulag per vedere Lev per pochi giorni.
Nel 1954, finalmente libero, Lev torna e, senza trambusto, sposa Sveta.
Orlando Figes è uno dei miei scrittori preferiti, che ha già raccontato il Gulag e in generale la vita sotto Stalin, sempre in attesa di qualcosa di buono (il ritorno di una persona cara) o di cattivo (che l'NKVD bussasse alla porta), in The Whisperers. Questa volta il libro è naturalmente più "felice", non solo per il lieto fine, ma perché i protagonisti sono due persone fuori dal comune, che si tengono per mano nonostante la distanza, che si fanno forza a vicenda e, nonostante l'attesa, vivono insieme, se non fisicamente in uno spazio mentale comune. E per via della predominanza delle lettere e quindi delle parole di Lev e Sveta, l'autore si fa più indietro stavolta rispetto ai suoi altri lavori (che pure sono sempre ricchi di testimonianze). Amo Figes perché insieme alla storia racconta sempre le storie di persone comuni e della loro vita di fronte ai grandi avvenimenti che le spingono in tutte le direzioni; perché la dimensione personale è sempre fondamentale nel suo racconto. In questo caso forse l'impatto emotivo (nonostante la commozione) non è allo stesso livello di The Whisperers, in cui la cappa staliniana premeva su tutto, ma rimane comunque una bellissima storia, che meritava di essere raccontata.
January 5, 2021
Fantastic, I loved every page to the extent that I did not want to put it down and go do whatever I'm supposed to do. While most stories about the Gulag are upsetting and dark to an extent, this one ends with a different message - regardless of the evil around us, humanity prevails. The case of Lev and Svetlana is probably a rare one - they managed to communicate with less censorship and his privileged position helped him survive. Sveta also proves to be strong and fearless at times, literally breaking into the Gulag to be with her fiance and waiting for him for a decade, while serving as a lifeline for dozens of inmates.
While I did know they ended up together in the end and survived the ordeal, the book still kept me very engaged. Even while writing about the weather and office life, these two highly intelligent people separated by fate and a criminal regime do manage to put more on paper than just the words we can read today. A little piece of history definitely worth reading. For all of you romance enthusiasts out there, throw away them love triangles and check this out!
While I did know they ended up together in the end and survived the ordeal, the book still kept me very engaged. Even while writing about the weather and office life, these two highly intelligent people separated by fate and a criminal regime do manage to put more on paper than just the words we can read today. A little piece of history definitely worth reading. For all of you romance enthusiasts out there, throw away them love triangles and check this out!
did-not-finish
January 20, 2017Based on the subject matter, Just Send Me Word should have been a fascinating book. Unfortunately, the author's writing did not work for me.
Between work, my family, and my college course, I have barely any time to read now. I'm going to move on to a book I enjoy.
Between work, my family, and my college course, I have barely any time to read now. I'm going to move on to a book I enjoy.
January 12, 2023
O lectură care impresionează și emoționează la nivel colosal! O recomand cu încredere! ❤️
August 9, 2024
True story, true telling, true soul. I’ll look up Orlando Figes for all his other books.
April 15, 2018
A lovely account of a lovers separation, spanning over a decade, reconstructed by the historian author from interviews and the remarkably preserved hundreds of letters. It's also a story with an almost happy end, though a bittersweet one.
Though the details are mostly focused on the human relationships (the one between the two characters, chiefly, but not only), you can still find out a lot of historical details about the gulag system and the general life of Soviet Russia. Some details are really touching, especially regarding the naive faith people had in the country's glory, even when the same people were the ones who were affected by injustice and abuse most.
Though the details are mostly focused on the human relationships (the one between the two characters, chiefly, but not only), you can still find out a lot of historical details about the gulag system and the general life of Soviet Russia. Some details are really touching, especially regarding the naive faith people had in the country's glory, even when the same people were the ones who were affected by injustice and abuse most.
December 25, 2023
这样一个真实的故事，既差不多达到了我对爱情的最高定义，也满足了我对历史的持久兴趣，更提升了在这个我们再熟悉不过的政治生态里对人性的一点点信心。
所有这些，大概都浓缩在了信中的这句话里：
"I have always had this fear, the fear that love is not enough. One must be able to love yet also to live together and to live in this world, which will probably always remain cruel."
此外，"Your two letters make up my entire library."这句话也令我相当有感触。对于一个读书人而言，这也算得上是一种极为动人的表述了吧。
所有这些，大概都浓缩在了信中的这句话里：
"I have always had this fear, the fear that love is not enough. One must be able to love yet also to live together and to live in this world, which will probably always remain cruel."
此外，"Your two letters make up my entire library."这句话也令我相当有感触。对于一个读书人而言，这也算得上是一种极为动人的表述了吧。
May 21, 2012
This is the moving story of the love affair between Lev and Sveta, who first met while taking the entrance exam at Moscow University in 1935 and only ended with their death in old age. What makes this story extraordinary is that they were kept apart, first by WWII and then by Lev's sentence to ten years in a Gulag on his return to the Soviet Union. During all these years, they kept their love alive by infrequent, and often perilous, meetings and thousands of letters. What makes the letters even more important, is that they were often smuggled into and out of the camp, avoiding the censors and making them a fascinating record of life both within the Gulag itself and in state controlled Moscow during the years of the Cold War.
Both Lev and Sveta seemed to be very sensible people; when they first met they were studying physics, which Sveta continued to work in for most of her life and they were both careful not to burden each other with negative feelings during their time apart. During the war Sveta found herself evacuated, along with her colleages, so they could continue their work away from the front lines. Meanwhile, Lev was taken prisoner and, at the end of the war was sent on a death march from Buchenwald. Forced into a force confession he then found himself sentenced to ten years in a Gulag near the Artic Circle. From 1946 until his release in 1954 his life was that of a prisoner. At first he was unsure about whether to contact Sveta or not, not even sure that she was still alive and unwilling to pressurise her with his feelings when he was a prisoner. However, it was clear from the start that Sveta still loved him - even though they had not seen each other for five years.
What follows is an extraordinary relationship, where Lev literally lived through her letters. Eventually, Sveta wondered why, "if letters couldn't be smuggled in, why couldn't she?" and there begins the first of many desperate attempts to visit him, against the odds and many difficulties. Over the years their meetings were fleeting and few, but their letters were far more than the one censored letter allowed a month. She sustained him, while he attempted to keep his self-esteem, and she longed to have a child and a normal life.
This book takes us through the Cold War. The problems faced not only by Lev, but also by Sveta - as Soviet scientists were under immense pressure and she suffered depression and the feeling her life was slipping away. Meanwhile, we read of how Lev and his fellow prisoners coped with the Gulag - as security increased or declined and prisoners were threatened with Siberia. This takes us through the death of Stalin and the changes that came about because of this. However, this book is not really concerned with politics - both Lev and Sveta were either too careful to discuss politics openly, or more interested in other matters, but this is the story of a personal relationship in troubling and tumultuous times. As the record of a love story it is an incredible and moving testament to the human spirit and a privilege to read. As Lev wrote, "let us hope, while we still have strength to hope."
Both Lev and Sveta seemed to be very sensible people; when they first met they were studying physics, which Sveta continued to work in for most of her life and they were both careful not to burden each other with negative feelings during their time apart. During the war Sveta found herself evacuated, along with her colleages, so they could continue their work away from the front lines. Meanwhile, Lev was taken prisoner and, at the end of the war was sent on a death march from Buchenwald. Forced into a force confession he then found himself sentenced to ten years in a Gulag near the Artic Circle. From 1946 until his release in 1954 his life was that of a prisoner. At first he was unsure about whether to contact Sveta or not, not even sure that she was still alive and unwilling to pressurise her with his feelings when he was a prisoner. However, it was clear from the start that Sveta still loved him - even though they had not seen each other for five years.
What follows is an extraordinary relationship, where Lev literally lived through her letters. Eventually, Sveta wondered why, "if letters couldn't be smuggled in, why couldn't she?" and there begins the first of many desperate attempts to visit him, against the odds and many difficulties. Over the years their meetings were fleeting and few, but their letters were far more than the one censored letter allowed a month. She sustained him, while he attempted to keep his self-esteem, and she longed to have a child and a normal life.
This book takes us through the Cold War. The problems faced not only by Lev, but also by Sveta - as Soviet scientists were under immense pressure and she suffered depression and the feeling her life was slipping away. Meanwhile, we read of how Lev and his fellow prisoners coped with the Gulag - as security increased or declined and prisoners were threatened with Siberia. This takes us through the death of Stalin and the changes that came about because of this. However, this book is not really concerned with politics - both Lev and Sveta were either too careful to discuss politics openly, or more interested in other matters, but this is the story of a personal relationship in troubling and tumultuous times. As the record of a love story it is an incredible and moving testament to the human spirit and a privilege to read. As Lev wrote, "let us hope, while we still have strength to hope."
March 7, 2018
The gulag has developed an almost mythical status over the years. It's generally accepted to be a byword for the worst kind of prison. But what was life actually like inside it? Here we have a peculiar opportunity to find out. Turns out, if you've ever watched M*A*S*H, you already have a better idea than you'd think.
At least as presented by Figes, it's really a matter of complaints. This isn't to say there weren't worse elements, but if you kept your nose relatively clean, you could survive relatively well. Not exactly what I was expecting to learn. The Soviet Union seems to have developed the gulag mostly as an incredibly cheap form of labor. Almost the worst that could be said about how it was actually run was with utter incompetence. Otherwise it seems to have fit right in with the ridiculous level of micromanagement that you don't need to have been in Soviet Russia to understand. In fact, micromanagement has become quite widespread in the United States, if not at the government level(thank god!) then certainly the corporate. You'd think we might have a few indications to suspect this might not be the best strategy...
Anyway, no real complaints about Just Send Me Word except that Figes kind of...micromanages it. This is supposed to be a summary of an incredible series of letters sent between long-distance lovers Lev and Sveta, but instead it's more Figes' summary of a summary. More often than not you're reading Figes' summaries of what was happening, so that when he excerpts a letter you can see his hand guiding the conversation. You see only what he wants you to see, and it makes for a bloodless exercise. For much of it the book treads water between Sveta's visits to Lev in the gulag, and these visits are themselves glossed over, which begs the question...why put so much emphasis on them? The fact that they happen at all is remarkable, surely, but with so many letters...The narrative could go in so many directions, and yet Figes always chooses purely functional developments. There's very little sense of what it was actually like to exist in this state, not so much because there aren't complaints, but because there are only complaints. And yet they survive. Why? You have to guess.
The personalities of Lev and Sveta emerge, and how they relate to others, and yet their continued devotion to a system that handicapped their lives can seem baffling. It's the very machine that gave them purpose that forced them into corners, again and again, and they never really question that. It becomes a lesson of explaining how these letters survived at all, really, in a kind of mechanical existence livened only by their devotion to each other, and I guess that is the point, but not a terribly romantic one. Which means if you're reading this book for a great romantic adventure, you're probably looking in the wrong place.
But as a window into an era and a peoples' psyche, it's an interesting one, and pierces far beyond its subject. It's a glimpse into basic human nature, really, and at that a remarkably unguarded one, even with Figes' bumbling.
At least as presented by Figes, it's really a matter of complaints. This isn't to say there weren't worse elements, but if you kept your nose relatively clean, you could survive relatively well. Not exactly what I was expecting to learn. The Soviet Union seems to have developed the gulag mostly as an incredibly cheap form of labor. Almost the worst that could be said about how it was actually run was with utter incompetence. Otherwise it seems to have fit right in with the ridiculous level of micromanagement that you don't need to have been in Soviet Russia to understand. In fact, micromanagement has become quite widespread in the United States, if not at the government level(thank god!) then certainly the corporate. You'd think we might have a few indications to suspect this might not be the best strategy...
Anyway, no real complaints about Just Send Me Word except that Figes kind of...micromanages it. This is supposed to be a summary of an incredible series of letters sent between long-distance lovers Lev and Sveta, but instead it's more Figes' summary of a summary. More often than not you're reading Figes' summaries of what was happening, so that when he excerpts a letter you can see his hand guiding the conversation. You see only what he wants you to see, and it makes for a bloodless exercise. For much of it the book treads water between Sveta's visits to Lev in the gulag, and these visits are themselves glossed over, which begs the question...why put so much emphasis on them? The fact that they happen at all is remarkable, surely, but with so many letters...The narrative could go in so many directions, and yet Figes always chooses purely functional developments. There's very little sense of what it was actually like to exist in this state, not so much because there aren't complaints, but because there are only complaints. And yet they survive. Why? You have to guess.
The personalities of Lev and Sveta emerge, and how they relate to others, and yet their continued devotion to a system that handicapped their lives can seem baffling. It's the very machine that gave them purpose that forced them into corners, again and again, and they never really question that. It becomes a lesson of explaining how these letters survived at all, really, in a kind of mechanical existence livened only by their devotion to each other, and I guess that is the point, but not a terribly romantic one. Which means if you're reading this book for a great romantic adventure, you're probably looking in the wrong place.
But as a window into an era and a peoples' psyche, it's an interesting one, and pierces far beyond its subject. It's a glimpse into basic human nature, really, and at that a remarkably unguarded one, even with Figes' bumbling.
September 27, 2020
I feel kinda bad giving this book mere 2 stars, but I would like to point out that it is not the story, but the overall presentation of it that made this book an unpleasant chore. The whole time I was reading I kept having the same thought: This book should have been an edition of selected letters with explanatory footnotes, not a "proper book". Considering the 75% of the text ARE the letters anyway, the writing by Orlando Figes usually just jerked me out of the story and frankly seemed redundant. Interesting subject and admirable main characters, whose love and devotion is inspirational, but somehow still not a good book.
November 28, 2015
A remarkable true story all right, but I found the telling of it strangely uninvolving.
April 3, 2024
Warning! This book is strictly non-fiction and consists mostly of letters and descriptions of events, so if you are looking for some heroic epic story then it might not be the best position for you.
May 24, 2022
This the best book I have read in 2022...thus far. Figes manages to illustrate something beautiful from a very dark period.
June 29, 2015
I enjoyed this book. It was a slow, quiet read about an amazingly steadfast enduring love. You peak behind the iron curtain and want to scream about the injustice of what happened to this unassuming couple. However you must admire the courage and famous Russian stoicism with which they meet all obstacles and beat the odds. This is book is not for everyone. However, if you are a history buff of WWII this provides an incredibly different perspective of the events during and after the war.
October 24, 2012
This book was a very difficult read for me. Much of it is depressing. While it is a love story, it is a very complicated one, in parts hard to follow, and it covers more than a 15 year time span.
No doubt these letters are a historical treasure trove, and very special to their family also, but for me it was such a technical, intellectual telling of historical facts, figures, and details that I didn't really see the development of the love story.
No doubt these letters are a historical treasure trove, and very special to their family also, but for me it was such a technical, intellectual telling of historical facts, figures, and details that I didn't really see the development of the love story.
September 25, 2012
I loved this account of an incredible story of two people who manage to stay together against all the odds. I have read fuller more horrifying accounts of the gulags (not least, The Gulag Archipelago), but this brings it all home to life. Wonderful.
November 11, 2015
I really didn't enjoy the author's writing style. I have never read anything about the Gulag and I was interested in learning about Lev and Sveta's story, but I felt the story just dragged on and on. It felt like a chore to get through this book.
March 8, 2013
What a book...
October 1, 2020
an unforgettable book about boundless love and survival under disgusting conditions
June 13, 2023
Quite boring. Author spent far too much focus on the letters instead of the setting. Had high hopes to learn more about Russian history - this was not the book.
March 14, 2017
This is such an interesting and remarkable story.
I really enjoyed reading this book because it touched and gave insight on so many different topics such as the war, love, determination, the difference between now and then, ways of communicating and etc.
It is crazy to me to believe that a story like this could have actually happened, and to read about why and how it occurred is mind blowing.
It is a story of love and determination of two people who refused to never give up on each other no matter where they were or how long they had to wait to see each other and to never stop having faith that they would eventually reunite again. I find it such a heart-breaking story knowing that they had to wait so long (over 8 years) to be together and that they couldn't even see each other often during the time they were apart (less than once a year). On the other hand, it is also a very heart-warming story knowing that not even distance can keep people apart that are willing and that have love to give to that specific other person. Sveta could have easily found someone else that she would have been able to see everyday and start a family with sooner but she did not want anyone else, she wanted Lev and only Lev. It is remarkable what people can do for true love and this story definitely reinforces that true love does exist and it helps me believe that "soul mates" are real and that two people who are meant to be together will, no matter the difficulties or obstacles that they may face. I love how the author takes us on literally a full beginning to end journey with these two people. Starting at before they even knew each other, to how they met, to their first signs of dating, to when the war began and they got separated from each other, to when they didn't even know if the other person was alive or not, to not giving up hope on finding out, to how they survived during the war, to when they reconnected, to their secret meetings, to them encouraging one another that everything will be okay despite what had happened and what had yet to come, to when they were able to be together, to their marriage, to their kids, all the way up until they passed away. It is incredible how this couples journey was recorded from beginning to end.
Another aspect of this story that I find incredible is the method of communication that was used during that time period. I am used to text messages and phone calls where an answer is expected to arrive in a couple of minutes or (if the other person is busy) a couple hours at max but Sveta and Lev had to communicate through written letters which took weeks to arrive at their destination if they even did end up sending successfully. I can only imagine how different and difficult it must have been where that, waiting weeks for an answer or for a sign of life, was the norm.
Another reason that I really enjoyed this story is that not only is it a remarkable love story but it is also very informative about what was going on before, during and after the war. We can read everywhere about things that happened during these difficult times but what I find incredible is to follow the lives of these people through these tough times and to see how the conditions affected these people. When you read a story you connect with the characters, or find a way to connect with them. For me, when I read a story like this, I connect to how the people lived, to what they went through and as the story goes on, I feel like i've come to know them and their struggles and achievements. In this stories case, it is not only characters that we are talking about, but actual people. These are real people going through these real events that happened. I do find that during the middle (but closer to the end) of the story, it does become a bit repetitive about what is going on. I do find that it was a bit tiring to read, but then again, being in a prison and having limited access to the outside world gives the author little to work with in that regard.
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who wants to read a love story, a true story, a story about survival, a story about the war, a story about determination and even about technological advances and about ways of communication. It will not disappoint, and it will leave you happy and give you strength and courage that you met a couple who did not give up on each other and on love no matter how low their spirits might have been. It is a definite must read!
I really enjoyed reading this book because it touched and gave insight on so many different topics such as the war, love, determination, the difference between now and then, ways of communicating and etc.
It is crazy to me to believe that a story like this could have actually happened, and to read about why and how it occurred is mind blowing.
It is a story of love and determination of two people who refused to never give up on each other no matter where they were or how long they had to wait to see each other and to never stop having faith that they would eventually reunite again. I find it such a heart-breaking story knowing that they had to wait so long (over 8 years) to be together and that they couldn't even see each other often during the time they were apart (less than once a year). On the other hand, it is also a very heart-warming story knowing that not even distance can keep people apart that are willing and that have love to give to that specific other person. Sveta could have easily found someone else that she would have been able to see everyday and start a family with sooner but she did not want anyone else, she wanted Lev and only Lev. It is remarkable what people can do for true love and this story definitely reinforces that true love does exist and it helps me believe that "soul mates" are real and that two people who are meant to be together will, no matter the difficulties or obstacles that they may face. I love how the author takes us on literally a full beginning to end journey with these two people. Starting at before they even knew each other, to how they met, to their first signs of dating, to when the war began and they got separated from each other, to when they didn't even know if the other person was alive or not, to not giving up hope on finding out, to how they survived during the war, to when they reconnected, to their secret meetings, to them encouraging one another that everything will be okay despite what had happened and what had yet to come, to when they were able to be together, to their marriage, to their kids, all the way up until they passed away. It is incredible how this couples journey was recorded from beginning to end.
Another aspect of this story that I find incredible is the method of communication that was used during that time period. I am used to text messages and phone calls where an answer is expected to arrive in a couple of minutes or (if the other person is busy) a couple hours at max but Sveta and Lev had to communicate through written letters which took weeks to arrive at their destination if they even did end up sending successfully. I can only imagine how different and difficult it must have been where that, waiting weeks for an answer or for a sign of life, was the norm.
Another reason that I really enjoyed this story is that not only is it a remarkable love story but it is also very informative about what was going on before, during and after the war. We can read everywhere about things that happened during these difficult times but what I find incredible is to follow the lives of these people through these tough times and to see how the conditions affected these people. When you read a story you connect with the characters, or find a way to connect with them. For me, when I read a story like this, I connect to how the people lived, to what they went through and as the story goes on, I feel like i've come to know them and their struggles and achievements. In this stories case, it is not only characters that we are talking about, but actual people. These are real people going through these real events that happened. I do find that during the middle (but closer to the end) of the story, it does become a bit repetitive about what is going on. I do find that it was a bit tiring to read, but then again, being in a prison and having limited access to the outside world gives the author little to work with in that regard.
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who wants to read a love story, a true story, a story about survival, a story about the war, a story about determination and even about technological advances and about ways of communication. It will not disappoint, and it will leave you happy and give you strength and courage that you met a couple who did not give up on each other and on love no matter how low their spirits might have been. It is a definite must read!
October 14, 2018
Se si pensa che racconta la vita di due russi si stenta a credere che nonostante tutto siano riusciti a stare insieme, si siano sposati, abbiamo avuto figli e trascorso una vita insieme fino ai novant’anni!!! Entrambi eccellenti fisici russi, si innamorano in università. I loro progetti vengono sconvolti dapprima con la seconda guerra mondiale dove Lev viene portato in un campo di concentramento tedesco: grazie al fatto che conosce il polacco riesce a resistere, in quanto opera come traduttore. Scappa dal campo, ma in Russia viene arrestato e accusato della più grave delle imputazione, il tradimento. Viene accusato di essere stato a servizio dei tedeschi e per questo condannato a 10 anni nel Gulag in Siberia. In qualità di ingegnere riesce a lavorare nella fabbrica per il legno, acquisendo sempre più autorevolezza tra i detenuti e i lavoratori volontari, grazie alle sue capacità. Riesce a mantenere un intenso rapporto epistolare con Svleta, riportate nel libro. Le lettere sono considerate patrimonio storico e si trovano a Mosca nel Mausoleo. Svleta dal canto suo riesce con molti rischi ad andare a trovare Lev all’interno del Gulag, coperta dai prigionieri amici di Lev. Svleta lavora a Mosca in una fabbrica di gomma come responsabile e per lei aver a che fare con i detenuti e’ molto rischioso. Nel 1953 Stalin muore e le cose cambiano; dopo la liberazione Lev riesce finalmente a vivere da cittadino comune.
January 24, 2020
Beautiful and remarkable!
Lev and Sveta had an amazing relationship!! The beginning of their time together was short and sweet and then the war got in the way and took Lev far from her. Then he was sentenced to a gulag and they wrote smuggled letters to one another for 8 long years. Both risking their lives for a yearly visit and at times had to go even longer to see one another. They kept each other sane by caring so deeply for one another and apprising one another of what was happening either in prison for Lev or in the outside in Moscow for Sveta. It’s incredible that their love continued to bloom and they grew more connected through carefully written letters. Using hidden meanings at times to pass by the censors if they were caught. Even more remarkable is every letter was dated and numbered and saved. They are now in Memorial for historical reference for all to see. After Lev’s release (finally!! Plus he was falsely convicted.), they married and raised a family. They lived into their early 90’s. God is so good to have protected them, connected them, and used them to help one another through extremely difficult years of suffering and then for reuniting them, and keeping their relationship so solid.
It was a wonderful book. A little tedious at times, but great historical documentation of life for both of them and I feel it’s an important and beautiful book to read. A love story. Yet rarely did they say the words, I love you. It shows true sacrificial love and devotion throughout their lives for one another.
The author is amazing to have assembled all these leathers and details!!
Lev and Sveta had an amazing relationship!! The beginning of their time together was short and sweet and then the war got in the way and took Lev far from her. Then he was sentenced to a gulag and they wrote smuggled letters to one another for 8 long years. Both risking their lives for a yearly visit and at times had to go even longer to see one another. They kept each other sane by caring so deeply for one another and apprising one another of what was happening either in prison for Lev or in the outside in Moscow for Sveta. It’s incredible that their love continued to bloom and they grew more connected through carefully written letters. Using hidden meanings at times to pass by the censors if they were caught. Even more remarkable is every letter was dated and numbered and saved. They are now in Memorial for historical reference for all to see. After Lev’s release (finally!! Plus he was falsely convicted.), they married and raised a family. They lived into their early 90’s. God is so good to have protected them, connected them, and used them to help one another through extremely difficult years of suffering and then for reuniting them, and keeping their relationship so solid.
It was a wonderful book. A little tedious at times, but great historical documentation of life for both of them and I feel it’s an important and beautiful book to read. A love story. Yet rarely did they say the words, I love you. It shows true sacrificial love and devotion throughout their lives for one another.
The author is amazing to have assembled all these leathers and details!!
July 10, 2017
Een ontroerend en mooi geschreven boek, gebaseerd op een lange briefwisseling van 8 jaar (in totaal werden er 1246 brieven heen en weer geschreven tussen Lev en Svetlana in de periode 1946-1954), die van onschatbare waarde is om een beeld te krijgen van het dagelijks leven in de Goelagkampen. Hoewel het perspectief van Lev Misjtsjenko er maar eentje is, naast dat van Aleksandr Solzjenitsyn, Varlam Sjalamov en vele anderen, waarvan sommigen beduidend zwaardere werkzaamheden moesten uitvoeren, geeft het boek toch veel inzicht vanuit de eerste hand in de machtsstructuren die er in de kampen waren en in de enorme overlevingskracht die ervoor nodig was om elke dag weer door te gaan, in soms de meest mensonterende omstandigheden. Tot slot is het boek een prachtig document van een ijzersterke liefdesband tussen twee mensen, die stand hield dankzij hun beider moed, doorzettingsvermogen, troost, flexibiliteit en kracht. Lev geeft zijn zoon (en daarmee de lezer) nog een mooie raad mee voor de toekomst: waar je ook bent, ook al is het maar tijdelijk, probeer altijd te leven alsof het permanent is.
August 13, 2017
Praticamente un epistolario dal Gulag stalinista.
1246 lettere
647 di lui a lei
599 di lei a lui.
Lui è Lev Glebovič Miščenko, lei Svetlana Ivanov.
S’incontrano per la prima volta nel 1935, all’università di Mosca, facoltà di Fisica. Nel ’41 lo scoppio della guerra li divide. Fatto prigioniero dai tedeschi, una volta tornato in patria, Lev viene arrestato e inviato in un campo di lavoro a scontare una pena di dieci anni per tradimento.
Lev conosceva il tedesco e venne considerato una spia perché “s’immaginava” che fosse stato usato dal nemico come traduttore. La paranoia dei regimi totalitari non ha confini.
Il romanzo epistolare ripercorre tutti gli anni del gulag (a Pečora, in Siberia), i rarissimi, rocamboleschi incontri, la paura, lo scoramento, ma soprattutto l’amore tra i due, che mai viene meno.
Riescono a sposarsi solo dopo la morte di Stalin (e a questo proposito non posso fare a meno di ricordare il “balletto” di Berja attorno al cadavere: Il gatto è morto, il gatto è morto, siamo liberi! Una scena degna della più grande letteratura russa).
Non è soltanto una grande, struggente storia d’amore, ma anche una sorta di manifesto etico: mai Lev e Sveta perderanno la loro caratura morale, mai smarriranno la loro umanità.
In esergo il libro regala una perla di Anna Achmatova (poetessa –insieme a Blok- molto amata da entrambi), quasi un compendio di tutta la storia.
Nera e tenace è la separazione
che ci portiamo dentro io e te.
Perché piangi? Porgimi la mano,
prometti di tornare ancora in sogno.
Io e te siamo montagne di dolore…
Per me e per te non c'è un incontro al mondo.
Se solo tu potessi, a mezzanotte,
attraverso le stelle, mandarmi un saluto.
----------
N.B. L'edizione originale s'intitola "Just send me word". Non capirò mai perché certi titoli (penso anche ai film), una volta oltrepassate le Alpi, vengano stravolti a questa maniera.
1246 lettere
647 di lui a lei
599 di lei a lui.
Lui è Lev Glebovič Miščenko, lei Svetlana Ivanov.
S’incontrano per la prima volta nel 1935, all’università di Mosca, facoltà di Fisica. Nel ’41 lo scoppio della guerra li divide. Fatto prigioniero dai tedeschi, una volta tornato in patria, Lev viene arrestato e inviato in un campo di lavoro a scontare una pena di dieci anni per tradimento.
Lev conosceva il tedesco e venne considerato una spia perché “s’immaginava” che fosse stato usato dal nemico come traduttore. La paranoia dei regimi totalitari non ha confini.
Il romanzo epistolare ripercorre tutti gli anni del gulag (a Pečora, in Siberia), i rarissimi, rocamboleschi incontri, la paura, lo scoramento, ma soprattutto l’amore tra i due, che mai viene meno.
Riescono a sposarsi solo dopo la morte di Stalin (e a questo proposito non posso fare a meno di ricordare il “balletto” di Berja attorno al cadavere: Il gatto è morto, il gatto è morto, siamo liberi! Una scena degna della più grande letteratura russa).
Non è soltanto una grande, struggente storia d’amore, ma anche una sorta di manifesto etico: mai Lev e Sveta perderanno la loro caratura morale, mai smarriranno la loro umanità.
In esergo il libro regala una perla di Anna Achmatova (poetessa –insieme a Blok- molto amata da entrambi), quasi un compendio di tutta la storia.
Nera e tenace è la separazione
che ci portiamo dentro io e te.
Perché piangi? Porgimi la mano,
prometti di tornare ancora in sogno.
Io e te siamo montagne di dolore…
Per me e per te non c'è un incontro al mondo.
Se solo tu potessi, a mezzanotte,
attraverso le stelle, mandarmi un saluto.
----------
N.B. L'edizione originale s'intitola "Just send me word". Non capirò mai perché certi titoli (penso anche ai film), una volta oltrepassate le Alpi, vengano stravolti a questa maniera.
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