Behind the Border

by Nina Kossman

In charming and poignant vignettes, Nina Kossman tells of her childhood in 1960s Moscow. Nina wants to become a heroine by awakening Grandfather Lenin during a class trip to his tomb, or by painting Red Square really red. But she also finds herself fascinated with life in the forbidden world "behind the border." B&W photos.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, History

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Nina Kossman is a transdisciplinary artist. Her work is animated by an interest in nature, history, mythology, and bilingualism. A writer and painter, she exhibited her paintings internationally, and her writing has been published in a dozen languages, including French, Italian, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, German, Persian, Chinese, Bengali, and Japanese. Nina Kossman’s 11 books include poetry (in Russian and English), short prose (in Russian and English), children’s poetry, an anthology she edited for Oxford University Press, two volumes of translations of Marina Tsvetaeva’s poetry, and a novel. Her English-language work has appeared in over ninety magazines and anthologies and has been translated into twelve languages. Her plays have been produced in the US, the UK, and Australia. She received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, grants from the Onassis Foundation and the Foundation for Hellenic Culture, and the (now defunct) UNESCO/PEN Short Story Award. She is a founding editor of EastWest Literary Forum, a bilingual magazine. Born in the former Soviet Union, she lives in New York.

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Nina-Kossman/e... .

Reviews

[Cathy]

I have just read this to my 8,12 and 14 year olds............they actually responded really well.....gave rise to lots of discussion about closed governments and communism. It really made my kids think. It was fun and amusing also. Quick read great to intro the thoughts of a different governing rule. Nice from a kids perspective also!

[Addie]

This book was great! I couldn't stop reading it. The book has very interesting stories each chapter.

[Susie Clifft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Communism through the eyes of a five year Jewish girl

Thirteen true stories, averaging three to five pages each, revealing Nina Kossman's life in Russia before her family immigrated to America.

Lenin was presented as the grandfather of all Russian children. They wore buttons with his face. His body was displayed in a temperature controlled, glass sarcophagus so the Russians could visit Red Square and see him.

Some of the story topics: Children were told by their teacher that she had a golden rope and could watch them on t.v. at anytime; beware if foreigners-they are the enemy of the Soviet people; Kulaks are rich people & that's why they're bad; you must turn in your parents if they speak against Russia; Capitalist uses watches to turn Russian children from good to bad; accuses Nina of being a traitor when a rumor starts that they're leaving Russia.

Ends with a section on Communism & capitalist, Lenin, kulaks, Russian Jews, Soviet news & censorship, Stalin, arrests & labor camps, Red Square, Soviet schools.

Eye-opener on how indoctrination starts in kindergarten.

[Kelly Honora Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book loved it

[Barbara Radisavljevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina Kossman spent her early childhood in Russia. She learned that if her beach ball floated way from her on the Black Sea and went toward the Turkish border she would never
get it back. Later she tried to erase all the borders on the map so that nothing would separate the world's nations. In school she learns it's heroic to betray one's parents to the government if they are not politically correct. In these memoirs, Nina relates 13 personal anecdotes that show us first hand what life was like for children in the Soviet Union in the '60's. This book can be understood (if read aloud) by primaries and adults alike