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"WHO ARE WE?", the fifth book of the Ringing Cedars Series, describes the author's search for real-life 'proofs' of Anastasia's vision presented in the previous volumes. Finding these proofs and taking stock of ongoing global environmental destruction, Vladimir Megre describes further practical steps for putting Anastasia's vision into practice. Full of beautiful realistic images of a new way of living in co-operation with the Earth and each other, this book also highlights the role of children in making us aware of the precariousness of the present situation and in leading the global transition toward a happy, violence-free society.

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 15, 2000

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About the author

Vladimir Megré

27 books151 followers
Vladimir Nikolaevich Megre (born 23 July, 1950 in Kuznichi village, Gorodnyansky District, Chernigov Region in Ukraine), the author of The Ringing Cedars of Russia book series, was a well-known entrepreneur. He spent most of his childhood with his grandmother Efrosinia Verkhusha, a village healer.
As a teenager Vladimir occasionally visited Father Feodorit, a priest of the Trinity-Sergiyev Monastery. Later he was shown there the picture «The One and Only» which he described in his second book before the picture was revealed to the world.

Vladimir started an independent life early and left the parents' house at the age of 16. Since 1974 he lived in Novosibirsk and worked as a photographer with Novosibirskoblfoto, a service company.

At the beginning of Perestroika (reforms of the late 1980s) he was the president of the Inter-Regional Association of Siberian Entrepreneurs. In 1994-5 he organized two large-scale trade expeditions with a fleet of river steamers along the River Ob along the route Novosibirsk -- Salekhard -- Novosibirsk at his own expense. On this trip, an encounter with Anastasia in the Siberian taiga changed his entire life.

It had been a secret for a long time for relatives and friends what made him, an entrepreneur with ten years experience, to pledge his property and spend his savings on unprofitable trading trips. The mystery was revealed in his books with Anastasia as the main character. Vladimir Megre brought something really invaluable from the trips.

Throughout 1996-2006 nine books were written by Vladimir Megre (The Ringing Cedars of Russia Series: Anastasia, The Ringing Cedars of Russia, The Space of Love, Co-Creation, Who Are We?, Book of Kin, The Energy of Life, The New Civilization, Rites of Love).

In 2011 the author became Laureate of Gusi Peace Prize.

By now 11 millions copies of the books translated into 20 languages have been sold. In 1999 Megre established the Anastasia Foundation for Culture and Creative Support in the city of Vladimir and launched the site www.anastasia.ru. Readers' and press conferences take place in Russia and abroad.

The author holds readers' and press conferences in Russia and other countries.

The most active readers of Ringing Cedars of Russia book series unite into public organizations, one of the aims of which is the creation of Kin's domains. In 2010 another book "Anasta" was issued. The author plans to write a scenario on the basis of his books.

The author comments about himself and his books:

Good shall prevail on the earth!

- The parade of worldly rulers, no matter what grand temples they might have built, will be remembered only by the filth they have bequeathed to their descendants. Water will prove to be the criterion; the measure of all things. With each day that passes, the water seethes with more and more contamination.

The above words were pronounced by a character from my books: a recluse from the Siberian taiga, Anastasia.

My name is Vladimir Megre. I was born on the twenty-third of July, 1950, in a Ukrainian village. Then I studied, got married and worked in Siberia, but that isn't the main thing. The most important aspect of my life emerged after my meeting with Anastasia.

It was the beginning of perestroika in Russia, and I had just gone into business. I was a leader of the Entrepreneurs of Siberia Association. I used to sail with goods on a motor ship over the Siberian river Ob up toward the Arctic circle. I enjoyed wandering around the taiga by myself, while the ship was moored.

It was on an isolated bank of a taiga river that I one day met a recluse from the Siberian taiga. Her name was Anastasia, and she would soon transform my outlook on life.

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5 stars
266 (57%)
4 stars
108 (23%)
3 stars
56 (12%)
2 stars
15 (3%)
1 star
14 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
3 reviews12 followers
April 3, 2013
If you're looking for a book with superb writing style and awesome flow of sentence and plot... this book isn't it. But if you're looking for an inspiring, eye-opening, motivating story, you have got to read this book. It really changed the way I look at the world.
Profile Image for Jo.
181 reviews
March 19, 2013
This was probably the best book I've ever read. I don't understand why it is basically unknown in the U.S. It is a series about nature, love, religion, science, the environment, living, family, basically everything under the sun. Cannot WAIT to read the next one.
Profile Image for Sicofonia.
347 reviews
February 22, 2013
Anastasia tells the story of a girl who lives in the middle of nowhere, inside the Russian taiga, and has supernatural powers and a vision of the world that differs from the one that prevails in the western societies.

The main point of the book is that this technocratic society we are living in is wrong, and by leading a lifestyle closer to the nature, simple and rudimentary, we all would be happier. So the author starts to mention, one by one, all the things Anastasia told him (figuratively speaking, because this is a fiction book) which would improve our lives.

I'll give just one example (at this point I really wanted to put this book down because it is laughable at best):

“Before planting, put into your mouth one or more little seeds, hold them in your mouth, under the tongue, for at least nine minutes.
“Then place the seed between the palms of your hands and hold it there for about thirty seconds. During this time it is important that you be standing barefoot on the spot of earth where you will later be planting it.
“Open your hands, and carefully raise the seed which you are holding to your mouth. Then blow on it lightly, warming it with your breath, and the wee little seed will know everything that is within you.
“Then you need to hold it with your hands open another thirty seconds, presenting the seed to the celestial bodies. And the seed will determine the moment of its awakening. The planets will all help it! And will give the sprouts the light they need to produce fruit especially for you.
“After that you may plant the seed in the ground. In no case should you water it right off, so as not to wash away the saliva which is now covering it, along with other information about you that the seed will take in. It can be watered three days after planting.


And Megre goes on to try to back this up with some reference to a more than doubtful scientific study. Seriously, I can't even believe there are people out there going to live to the eco-villages in the way they are proposed here.

This is by far one of the WORST books I've ever read. Badly written, it reads like a recollection of assorted memories, rather than a structured story.
Profile Image for Christy.
20 reviews3 followers
October 21, 2012
I read this book a couple weeks ago. I did enjoy the book and it brought some awareness. I did find the writing to be a little disjointed, perhaps because it was translated from Russian. There are a few parts that seem hard to believe. I have studied quantum physics and understand many of the conceps in this book but once in a while, its a stretch for our minds ;). The more books I read in this series the more I like it.
Profile Image for Chanel Chapters.
2,275 reviews253 followers
May 7, 2012
I'm intrigued by the ideas but I cannot stand the author and the writing his horrible, will read the next one as I want to hear more about the gardening and nature aspect, I am hoping Vladimir isn't as vulgar and Anastasia not as airheaded this time around - for someone so enlightened she chose a horrible mating partner (who is also married to someone else...)
Profile Image for Monty.
881 reviews18 followers
April 13, 2013
This is the first of nine books (books 1 through 8, which is in two parts). I would give it a two for writing style and a four for ideas. The Russian author describes his encounter with Anastasia, a free spirit who lives alone in a Russian forest in tune with the natural world. This is one of those books that is difficult to know if it is fiction or non-fiction. In either case, the ideas presented about relationships, planting seeds, honoring nature, being in tune with oneself and the greater spiritual world, and some other topics are quite interesting. I may read the second volume to confirm whether or not I want to read them all or not.
Profile Image for Michelle Porter.
Author 2 books124 followers
February 10, 2020
This was one of my favourite books in the series....and yes, I read ALL 9 of them consecutively to fully understand the flow of perception and knowledge from the author. I found books #4-#8 (part 1 & 2) was where everything becomes enlightened and connected. Personally, I loved this entire series, but I realize this is either a "love it or hate" gig with these books. If you have a heightened sense of perception and are open minded you will gain a great deal of insight and vision from this series. The books are best read when the reader is ready to expand their consciousness and way of thinking. There is a great deal discussed that can not be quantified, it is up to the reader to connect and realize that there is more than we know and more than we see in this beautiful multi-verse.
Profile Image for Logan Streondj.
Author 2 books15 followers
October 3, 2020
great book that contemplates ecovillages, and also describes a crisis he experienced and later overcame with Anastasia's help.
Profile Image for Cindy.
547 reviews1 follower
June 4, 2021
Exciting bit of drama near the end of this one.
Profile Image for Shinemoos.
182 reviews
June 16, 2025
太酷了,如果可以让微生物毁掉所有的武器!一个真正的强国是用好空气、好能量来吸引他人,而不是用武力威慑他人。和爱情关系一样呀,attraction, not coercion. 愿所有人践行此真理。

阿纳斯塔莎说,人类历史上曾经的圣贤,如释迦摩尼、老子、孔子、耶稣等都是他的兄弟,没错啊,难得有这些开悟之人带领我们走出黑暗——权力和物欲操纵的时代。她拒绝膜拜,这一点我觉得很感动也很赞同。没错,如果有了高下之别,那就产生了权力喝操纵的必要!
1,653 reviews
October 30, 2009
I picked this up at the Clearfield library because it was a pretty cover and it sounded interesting. It was a new insight into life and some of the things that we should be doing to keep our world better. I thought it gave some good insight into life and how we can be better people. It also gave insight into why are Christian world have gone corrupt and still is. It talked about how the "High Priests" really have made the world what it is today,
Profile Image for Francine.
9 reviews2 followers
June 16, 2012
Eerste deel van een serie - Anastasia - over de ontmoeting en de uitwisseling tussen Anastasia - een volledig met de natuur verbonden wijze vrouw - en een zakenman. Wat deze ontmoeting teweeg brengt in zijn leven en welke wijze lessen hij allemaal leert van Anastasia: dat is waar het over gaat.
Dit eerste deel smaakt naar meer en ik ga dus zeker binnenkort beginnen aan deel twee: Vladimir Megre - Anastasia - 02. De zoemende ceders van Rusland
Profile Image for Dave.
60 reviews4 followers
March 16, 2010
this book resorts back to more of the clumsy style of book three. However, the clumsiness and the awkward reading gives way to the ultimate reason why book 5 should be read: the last two chapters. But don't think to simply read the past two chapters without wallowing through the first part of the book.
Profile Image for Shamana Ali.
291 reviews4 followers
July 25, 2014
this book was a little bit of a let down. The questions from other readers slowed the pace too much. The open letter to Putin was intriguing. Good insights, but I didn't find the narrative of this book up to the quality of the rest of the series (which is not great to begin with)
Profile Image for David.
22 reviews3 followers
April 24, 2010
This book is stretching all of the boundaries of my thinking. I am getting alot out of reading this whole series. People can order the whole series on http://www.ringingcedars.com
Profile Image for Claire.
13 reviews
August 29, 2012
Really great book, taking us to the life of a woman in nature. Very methafysical, down to earth as well.
Profile Image for Cecilia Sand.
1 review
May 3, 2013
So bad it made me feel sick. Really badly written. Dont read it and dont believe in this crap. There are so many other good books about spirituality you dont need this.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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