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Where Bears Roam The Streets
In the summer of 2008, Jeff Parker went to Russia intending to write a book about the country’s resurgence as a major global superpower under President and then Prime Minister (and now president again) Vladimir Putin, about the emergence, for maybe the first time in history, of a Russian middle class, and the sacrifices that had to be made to get there. But Russia squirms under the pressure of any attempt to pin it down. In the midst of social and financial upheaval, the more Parker sought answers the more the questions kept coming: What was Russia? How did it work? How did people live? How could they eat kholodetz (meat jelly)? Did love mean something different to them than it meant to us? Why did so many women leave the country to marry strangers? What good did knowing Pushkin by heart do them? Why did the police keep robbing him?
The four years at the heart of this book focus largely on the period between 2008 and 2012 and the revealing friendship Parker made with a young barkeep and draft dodger named Igor. The book became the story of Igor, as a metaphor for Russia, in crisis. While Igor is not the model Perestroika generation man nor some kind of Putin-era everyman, he is, like The Big Lebowski, a man for his time and place. What Parker has created is the story of Igor as refracting mirror for the story of Russia, told with intelligence, humour and no small amount of misadventure.
The four years at the heart of this book focus largely on the period between 2008 and 2012 and the revealing friendship Parker made with a young barkeep and draft dodger named Igor. The book became the story of Igor, as a metaphor for Russia, in crisis. While Igor is not the model Perestroika generation man nor some kind of Putin-era everyman, he is, like The Big Lebowski, a man for his time and place. What Parker has created is the story of Igor as refracting mirror for the story of Russia, told with intelligence, humour and no small amount of misadventure.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2014
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155 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 19, 2014
I felt like I was with Igor and Jeff as they travelled by train to a resort town on the Black Sea, as they visited the banyas, as they partied by Lake Baikal. The prose is beautiful and Jeff shows why he's such a great teacher, explaining conflicts and crises, love, and moving forward in Russia in such a way that is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Timely release considering the situation in Ukraine.
January 30, 2016
I knew absolutely nothing of what my homeland had become beyond what I saw on a one-month trip to St. Petersburg nearly 14 years ago and later watching the Russian mob mini-series, Brigada, in high school. I was 14 years old and paid very little attention to what was going on around me. I knew nothing about asking the right questions or analyzing the culture. I didn’t understand the political or economic climates that Russia had found itself in 12 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. All I knew was that a pack of cigarettes cost around $2 CAD (though I didn’t smoke yet) and that I could find some quality bootleg DVDs of Neznaika na Lune at a kiosk near my grandfather's apartment. Luckily, Jeff Parker’s travelogue helped to bridge that gap.
Parker’s stories revolve around a friendship with a Russian man named Igor, who he had met in the late 90’s while working with a literary festival in St. Petersburg. Their chance encounter occurred when Parker and a colleague happened upon Igor while he was swimming in the Moyka River beneath Nevsky Prospekt, the main street in the city. A big, polluted, yucky no-no. He pulled himself onto a small boat that was docked there and was greeted by others with pats on the back and a beer. Parker and his colleague moved on without exchanging any words with him only to have a sopping wet Igor start a conversation with them at a nearby eatery some time later. After a night of billiards and booze, they became close and the friendship between Igor and Jeff grew over the course of many years, with Parker’s annual participation in the literary festival.
While Parker’s observations on Russian culture and politics only scratch the surface (at best; for example, he is exceptional at being uncritical of things related to alcohol consumption), it is his adventures with Igor that captured my attention. A long train ride from Moscow to Lake Baikal, shooting paintball with strangers in the middle of nowhere, conversations with former military men about the Russian army and the Chechen War, trips to the banya, and copious amounts of beer and vodka. These are all little parts of Russia that triggered different memories of my upbringing and allowed me to question some of the things I’ve come to accept as being normal. It helps that Parker’s perspective is Western (originally from Florida, he was a faculty member at the University of Toronto) with Western values and observations. I was similarly brought up in the West, but our experiences diverge since I was a Russian immigrant raised Russian-style, whatever that means. Reading Parker’s book, I got to be a tourist in my own homeland.
Ultimately, Where Bears Roam the Streets was a fun series of anecdotes and observations of a traveler in Russia and I appreciated it for what it was. It made me want to visit home again. It made me want to share beer with random passengers on a train through the near empty middle of the country. It made me miss the banya. My grandfather had one built on his dacha and, though I only used it once after spending two full days raking mowed tall grass on his property, I remember my experience fondly. I frequent one in Toronto with my friends as often as I can.
tl;dr
This book was insightful.
Parker’s stories revolve around a friendship with a Russian man named Igor, who he had met in the late 90’s while working with a literary festival in St. Petersburg. Their chance encounter occurred when Parker and a colleague happened upon Igor while he was swimming in the Moyka River beneath Nevsky Prospekt, the main street in the city. A big, polluted, yucky no-no. He pulled himself onto a small boat that was docked there and was greeted by others with pats on the back and a beer. Parker and his colleague moved on without exchanging any words with him only to have a sopping wet Igor start a conversation with them at a nearby eatery some time later. After a night of billiards and booze, they became close and the friendship between Igor and Jeff grew over the course of many years, with Parker’s annual participation in the literary festival.
While Parker’s observations on Russian culture and politics only scratch the surface (at best; for example, he is exceptional at being uncritical of things related to alcohol consumption), it is his adventures with Igor that captured my attention. A long train ride from Moscow to Lake Baikal, shooting paintball with strangers in the middle of nowhere, conversations with former military men about the Russian army and the Chechen War, trips to the banya, and copious amounts of beer and vodka. These are all little parts of Russia that triggered different memories of my upbringing and allowed me to question some of the things I’ve come to accept as being normal. It helps that Parker’s perspective is Western (originally from Florida, he was a faculty member at the University of Toronto) with Western values and observations. I was similarly brought up in the West, but our experiences diverge since I was a Russian immigrant raised Russian-style, whatever that means. Reading Parker’s book, I got to be a tourist in my own homeland.
Ultimately, Where Bears Roam the Streets was a fun series of anecdotes and observations of a traveler in Russia and I appreciated it for what it was. It made me want to visit home again. It made me want to share beer with random passengers on a train through the near empty middle of the country. It made me miss the banya. My grandfather had one built on his dacha and, though I only used it once after spending two full days raking mowed tall grass on his property, I remember my experience fondly. I frequent one in Toronto with my friends as often as I can.
tl;dr
This book was insightful.
July 21, 2016
Prior to reading Parker's book, my understanding of the Russian nation came from stories my father told me of touring Soviet Russia in the late 70's, as a school boy.
Parker's Russia is both similar and incredibly different, an old Motherland in an increasingly global world. His friendship with Igor is touching in that special bromance sort of way, and the personal looks they each take, at each other, at Russia, and inwards make this book eye-opening.
All friends of travel and exploring new worlds, this is for you.
Parker's Russia is both similar and incredibly different, an old Motherland in an increasingly global world. His friendship with Igor is touching in that special bromance sort of way, and the personal looks they each take, at each other, at Russia, and inwards make this book eye-opening.
All friends of travel and exploring new worlds, this is for you.
October 2, 2015
I loved every sentence, every minute, every breath and pause I spent in and with this book.It is Warm, witty, and real. The highest complement other than, in addition to, purchasing is affirming I will be reading this again, and I will. and I recommend.highly.
October 9, 2020
Part autobiography, part travelogue, part social commentary and all fun. I enjoyed this candid man-on-the-street snapshot of Putin’s Russia.
May 24, 2015
I remember my first introduction to his work was The Taste of Penny, where this guy gets knocked out and wakes to his salt slug of a tongue hanging from a rearview mirror in a baggie. I still can’t get that image out of my head.
That’s what all of Parker’s work does, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, it cuts these really precise spaces inside of you. Even as WHERE BEARS ROAM THE STREETS offers camaraderie, it delivers unyielding precision on the line level.
That’s what all of Parker’s work does, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, it cuts these really precise spaces inside of you. Even as WHERE BEARS ROAM THE STREETS offers camaraderie, it delivers unyielding precision on the line level.
September 14, 2014
This book had major potential, but it jumped all over the place. I believe it could have benefited from a stronger structure or editing. It was still an interesting read that shed some light on life in Russia, but not enough to compensate for the chaotic narrative, or perhaps that was intentional?
January 10, 2018
This is a riot. Great read, and, better yet, I feel like I know a little something more about Russia than other regular ol' schmucks who don't know anything about Russia! Just like me! Highly, highly, highly recommended for anyone who relates to a love of travel or is interested in a more human component to all that we're talking about when we talk about Russia.
August 11, 2018
A buddy comedy slash road trip that’s also a slyly sophisticated temperature read on Putin’s Russia. You’ll learn the proper way to smash yourself with birch leaves at a Russian bathhouse, how to bribe your way out of military service, and that the principle of Duality binds us all. Highly recommended.
March 10, 2023
Enjoyed the heck out of this, although it took a long time since I’ve been pretty busy. “American’s writing about Russia” is a VERY hit or miss genre for me.
Jeff approached this dangerous terrain with respect, open mindedness, and great humor. His tales are larger than life and reflect the paradoxes of Russia.
Jeff approached this dangerous terrain with respect, open mindedness, and great humor. His tales are larger than life and reflect the paradoxes of Russia.
December 18, 2017
This is a non-fiction book about modern Russia that hangs its hat on the author's eccentric friend, Igor. It drags in parts - suffers a bit from a commitment to ironic realism - but it is all-in-all a playful and engaging read. Recommended for anyone interested in Russia.
June 15, 2019
Everything Russian , one of the best travel/memoir Ive read on Russia , such a honest book .
beyond the politics and communism . Its about Vodka - Banya (steam rooms)-girls and everyday Russian life
Must read if you are interested in Russia
beyond the politics and communism . Its about Vodka - Banya (steam rooms)-girls and everyday Russian life
Must read if you are interested in Russia
March 29, 2020
Really enjoyed this book! A travel journal that’s real as hell. Really interesting to view slices of real Russian life, it’s people and their attitudes and beliefs. Very well written.
September 19, 2020
Really enjoyed this book! Reminded me of my own travels in Poland in the early 2000s. I was left wondering what is Igor up to today? And can I go have a beer with him?
March 24, 2022
Aprendes unas cuantas cosillas y tiene hilo pero me lo esperaba con mas datos o mas reflecxiones. Cumpliendo el expediente
May 29, 2016
I am not Russian, but I was born and raised in former USSR, so Russian speaker, living in the US now. So I think my perception of the book was very much affected by my background.
And to be honest, through the first half of the book, I was wondering all the time who was it written for? Who is the target audience? Because honestly, it felt A LOT like it was written for Russians, to show how Americans perceive them, not for Americans to have a better understanding of Russians.
The language, the structure. It's in English but it is not very English. A lot of times it sounds almost like automated software translation. I cannot un-know how to speak Russian, so I cannot judge what it is like for someone who does not speak Russian to read this book. But for some reason I think it would be less fun and amusing than for me. It's introspective in a way - here is what your language sounds like to foreigners, here is what you look like to them. It's not that enlightening in showing: here is the environment in which these people grow up and here is what they have to deal with on a daily basis. At least not in the first half of the book.
I found the last third or quarter much more educational, with a better insight into politics, etc. Not playing on stereotypes, but rather presenting the facts.
It is definitely very easy reading, amusing at times. And if taken as such, it can be appreciated for what it is. Again, I am not sure it would do any good to anyone who has never had to deal with Russians in their life.
And to be honest, through the first half of the book, I was wondering all the time who was it written for? Who is the target audience? Because honestly, it felt A LOT like it was written for Russians, to show how Americans perceive them, not for Americans to have a better understanding of Russians.
The language, the structure. It's in English but it is not very English. A lot of times it sounds almost like automated software translation. I cannot un-know how to speak Russian, so I cannot judge what it is like for someone who does not speak Russian to read this book. But for some reason I think it would be less fun and amusing than for me. It's introspective in a way - here is what your language sounds like to foreigners, here is what you look like to them. It's not that enlightening in showing: here is the environment in which these people grow up and here is what they have to deal with on a daily basis. At least not in the first half of the book.
I found the last third or quarter much more educational, with a better insight into politics, etc. Not playing on stereotypes, but rather presenting the facts.
It is definitely very easy reading, amusing at times. And if taken as such, it can be appreciated for what it is. Again, I am not sure it would do any good to anyone who has never had to deal with Russians in their life.
October 10, 2014
Entertaining and informative, Jeff Parker's book chronicles his experiences living in and travelling through Russia, often in the company of his St. Petersburg friend, Igor. This account is a real eye opener for me, as Parker shows a country in transition, many of its younger citizens with no clear direction, or even hope of finding any in their lifetimes.
There is no doubt that Igor steals most of the scenes, and Parker makes it seem as if Russia just wasn't worth experiencing without Igor by his side. This is especially true when Parker refers to his crumbling marriage to a Siberian woman. I'm never sure why this marriage if alluded to at all. Parker projects no emotion when he mentions the wife he rarely sees, and their marriage has little to tell the reader about the challenges of American-Russian relations.
I enjoyed the travelogues most of all. Colourful characters, fabulous scenery and hilarious encounters with locals all serve as foils to the more serious themes of a people left struggling to survive in a corrupt society as their social bonds disintegrate due to economic instability and uncertainty about the future.
Often the writing gets in the way of Parker's ideas. Sometimes I had to reread sentences a few times to get the meaning. And the overall structure was disjointed--its jumbled chronology left me scratching my head a few times. But the imagery was great, and the overall characterizations of his Russian characters are vivid and insightful.
There is no doubt that Igor steals most of the scenes, and Parker makes it seem as if Russia just wasn't worth experiencing without Igor by his side. This is especially true when Parker refers to his crumbling marriage to a Siberian woman. I'm never sure why this marriage if alluded to at all. Parker projects no emotion when he mentions the wife he rarely sees, and their marriage has little to tell the reader about the challenges of American-Russian relations.
I enjoyed the travelogues most of all. Colourful characters, fabulous scenery and hilarious encounters with locals all serve as foils to the more serious themes of a people left struggling to survive in a corrupt society as their social bonds disintegrate due to economic instability and uncertainty about the future.
Often the writing gets in the way of Parker's ideas. Sometimes I had to reread sentences a few times to get the meaning. And the overall structure was disjointed--its jumbled chronology left me scratching my head a few times. But the imagery was great, and the overall characterizations of his Russian characters are vivid and insightful.
January 19, 2016
My favorite part about reading this book is the vivid and thoughtful description of the friendship between Jeff and Igor. I've been thinking about it over and over--it's a timeless, borderless story told with respect, admiration, and curiosity. What a thorough way to learn about the social and historical climate of another country. I read this concurrently (so odd I know) with H.W. Brands' biography of Ronald Reagan. It was fascinating to hear about failed meetings with Gorbachov with this rich portrait of life in contemporary Russia.
June 8, 2016
Jeff Parker went to Russia planning to write a book about the social and economic upheaval in the country. In this true story, he met and befriended Igor, a man who works in bar/cafe. The story takes a turn and talks a lot about his friendship with Igor. We see the changes in the country and how they are effecting Igor. We learn about Igor's girlfriend and his relationship with her. Igor is quite a character and there are some serious, as well as, amusing moments in the story.
I enjoyed the book and learned a lot reading it. I felt like I really got to know Igor!
I enjoyed the book and learned a lot reading it. I felt like I really got to know Igor!
August 10, 2016
Where Bears Roam the Streets was like an intimate personal tour of Russia with two friends, one American and one Russian. Whereas I loose interest fast when presented with statistics about Russia, discovering the economic and human reality alongside writer Jeff Parker made it sink in and stick. He’s done more with this book for mutual USA/Russia relations than any diplomat could. It’s a bit like chumming around with Donna Tartt’s Theo and Boris, but it was real.
January 4, 2016
Jeff Parker's WHERE THE BEARS ROAM THE STREET is a book that takes the reader on a loving journey of friendship and adventure. Jeff Parker is a master at creating characters that every reader wants to know.
August 12, 2014
Funny and sad, a portrait of a place I want to see and a person I want to meet.
June 27, 2015
4.5 near perfect especially reading while living in Russia. Good fun.
September 7, 2016
Loving this book. Now to get Vova to teach me mat. Let's start with me learning Cyrillic.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews