Farewell to Russia: A Journey Through the Former USSR

by Joe Luc Barnes

Snow, concrete, the that's the cliché of the Soviet Union. But its collapse in 1991 sparked a story at once messier and more compelling than any stereotype. Thirty-five years on, Moscow may brim with champagne bars and blacked-out Mercedes – but what became of the other fourteen states that emerged from its ashes?

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Joe Luc Barnes crossed the former USSR to find out, from the gleaming towers of Azerbaijan to the former gulags of Kazakhstan, tech-hungry Estonia to the minarets of Uzbekistan. Along the way, he finds epic mountains, cobblestoned old towns and storied Silk Road cities – not to mention Georgian wine, Armenian brandy and vodka in industrial supply. 

Travelling thousands of miles by rattling platzkart train, hitchhiking, and riding in the white cars mandated by Turkmenistan's dictator, he gathers a chorus of nomads in mountain yurts, TikTok-fuelled activists, small-town taxi drivers and many who still look uneasily over their shoulder for the secret police.

They might have said goodbye to the USSR but can they ever say farewell to Russia? By turns hilarious, angry and heart-stopping, this a deeply human, darkly comic portrait of a region the West still misunderstands – and a warning of what happens when empires break but the habits of empire refuse to die.

If you loved The Silk Roads, Nothing to Envy or The Places in Between, and have a soft spot for Bill Bryson, clear space on your this is the book for you.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 5, 2026

Reviews

[Darya Silman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow.

I need time to reflect on this book. I liked it, and I was caught by it, but still...

Publication date: March 5, 2026.

I obtained a copy through Netgalley.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. What a fascinating travel book! While I didn't always agree with the author or the people interviewed, it was so interesting to follow along on this journey to countries about which I previously knew little more than their capital cities. The book inspired many a wikipedia spiral as I learned about the collapse of the Soviet Union and its effect on such a large swatch of land across Europe and Asia. The kindness of strangers, the honest opinions of complex geopolitical struggles, and the recommendations for different potato-based dishes will be in my mind for a while. I really appreciated this as a starter book to learning more about the basis for so many national and international struggles and conflicts, and an honest reflection of where different independence movements can lead--not always (or even often) to someplace good. I will be recommending this one to history buffs and travel fans alike.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a free copy in return for honest and open review

enjoyed this travelogue around the former soviet union and how it feels today to travel and how things have changed either way good or bad but found the book overall interesting,