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Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People
Winston Churchill famously described Russia as 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma'. Even today it remains a country little understood by the West. But as a resurgent world power, with an energy-rich economy, we ignore Russia at our peril.
In this timely and revealing portrait, distinguished author and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby crosses eight time zones and covers 10,000 miles, from Murmansk in the Arctic Circle to the Asian city of Vladivostok, in an attempt to get beneath the skin of modern Russia. Travelling by road, rail and boat, his epic journey takes him from the neo-classical splendour of St Petersburg to remote and inaccessible parts of Siberia. At the heart of this magisterial account are Jonathan's encounters with a diverse range of ordinary Russians - from urban intellectuals and the new class of entrepreneurs, to impoverished peasants and Russia's ethnic minorities struggling to cling to their distinctive identities.
Jonathan was the only British television journalist to interview President Gorbachev during the Cold War, and, returning to Russia for the first time since those days, he discovers a land transformed. But despite economic progress, he finds aspects of Russian society deeply troubling, and takes an unflinchingly critical look at the way Russia has been run during the Putin years.
For Jonathan, crossing the immense Russian landmass became as much an interior journey as an exterior one, and the book contains painfully honest passages as he struggles to meet the challenges of an arduous film trip against the backdrop of great turbulence in his personal life. Filled with a dazzling array of historical and literary references, Russia - A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People is a riveting and illuminating account of modern Russia.
In this timely and revealing portrait, distinguished author and broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby crosses eight time zones and covers 10,000 miles, from Murmansk in the Arctic Circle to the Asian city of Vladivostok, in an attempt to get beneath the skin of modern Russia. Travelling by road, rail and boat, his epic journey takes him from the neo-classical splendour of St Petersburg to remote and inaccessible parts of Siberia. At the heart of this magisterial account are Jonathan's encounters with a diverse range of ordinary Russians - from urban intellectuals and the new class of entrepreneurs, to impoverished peasants and Russia's ethnic minorities struggling to cling to their distinctive identities.
Jonathan was the only British television journalist to interview President Gorbachev during the Cold War, and, returning to Russia for the first time since those days, he discovers a land transformed. But despite economic progress, he finds aspects of Russian society deeply troubling, and takes an unflinchingly critical look at the way Russia has been run during the Putin years.
For Jonathan, crossing the immense Russian landmass became as much an interior journey as an exterior one, and the book contains painfully honest passages as he struggles to meet the challenges of an arduous film trip against the backdrop of great turbulence in his personal life. Filled with a dazzling array of historical and literary references, Russia - A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People is a riveting and illuminating account of modern Russia.
542 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
20 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Dimbleby
22 books93 followersJonathan Dimbleby is a writer and filmmaker based in England. His five-part series on Russia was broadcast by BBC2 and accompanied by his book Russia: A Journal to the Heart of a Land and its People. Destiny in the Desert was recently nominated for the Hessell-Tiltman History Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 13, 2019
Excellent, absolutely worth reading, this is an incredibly riveting exploration of the mesmerizingly diverse, beautifully and liberatingly immense, but also exasperatingly contradictory Country that is now represented by the Russian Federation.
This Country (this "world", I should rather say, considering the huge variety of natural and human landscapes that characterise it) has been in my bucket list of places to visit, and reading this book has definitely reinforced my desire.
An extremely well-written book, very often (but not always, unfortunately) clear of the typical arrogance and patronizing and condescending attitudes that annoyingly pervade many Western reportages on Russia, and representing a genuine attempt to understand the peculiar nature of the Russian peoples (albeit occasionally a bit negatively biased by cultural laziness and, yes, the provincialism and especially the whinging that sometimes distinguish some UK tourists and visitors abroad - ), this is overall a very rewarding read.
This is a quite memorable book indeed, providing many insights and a compelling and indelible vicarious travel experience of the epic journey of 10,000 miles from Murmansk to Vladivostock, an experience made so vivid and personal in a way that only the best travel authors manage to deliver.
Moreover, this is not just a riveting travelogue, but also a serious exploration into the social and political issues of contemporary Russia, its heavy historical past, and the views and perspectives of old and new generations of the diverse peoples that make up the complex demographics of this multifaceted and ever-surprising Country.
Very highly recommended. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
This Country (this "world", I should rather say, considering the huge variety of natural and human landscapes that characterise it) has been in my bucket list of places to visit, and reading this book has definitely reinforced my desire.
An extremely well-written book, very often (but not always, unfortunately) clear of the typical arrogance and patronizing and condescending attitudes that annoyingly pervade many Western reportages on Russia, and representing a genuine attempt to understand the peculiar nature of the Russian peoples (albeit occasionally a bit negatively biased by cultural laziness and, yes, the provincialism and especially the whinging that sometimes distinguish some UK tourists and visitors abroad - ), this is overall a very rewarding read.
This is a quite memorable book indeed, providing many insights and a compelling and indelible vicarious travel experience of the epic journey of 10,000 miles from Murmansk to Vladivostock, an experience made so vivid and personal in a way that only the best travel authors manage to deliver.
Moreover, this is not just a riveting travelogue, but also a serious exploration into the social and political issues of contemporary Russia, its heavy historical past, and the views and perspectives of old and new generations of the diverse peoples that make up the complex demographics of this multifaceted and ever-surprising Country.
Very highly recommended. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
June 1, 2012
Comment from Russian perspective
Let me comment on it from Russian perspective: I think it is an exceptionally good book on the matter. One can only wonder where does this vitriol of the reviewers seep from?
First, to me the book feels absolutely objective. I unlike other foreign reviewers haven’t sensed any bad feelings toward my country and its people or at least the ones that significantly affects his ability to perceive reality objectively and I was never offended. I had a luxury of traveling to many same destinations the author visited (even that bar in Murmansk) and thus know what I am speaking. The vastness of the country is nicely captured in his strategically placed visits to its most nodal and/or characteristic points.
Yes, he confesses his downbeat emotional state at times, but it’s Ok. We’re all humans. What is important is that his emotional state does not influence the speakers he interviews. And the speakers…you may not like their opinions, but they speak what they think. And there’s a great array of opinions, just like it is in reality in Russia. His interlocutors are Stalinists, yuppies, dissidents, common folks or in general from all walks of life and layers of Russian societies. I heard those opinions thousands of times and can confirm their genuineness. They are all grounded in reality unlike Orlando Figes’s stretching, wishful thinking and outright fraud. Such array of views should be very sobering to those of you who has your own pet-theory of Russia or who thinks it is monotone and monochrome.
The author sheds light onto many pages of Russian history and does it timely, appropriately, not boring and with verve. I immensely enjoyed the book, it is not shallow, it is not glossing over or vilifying Russia. The man just tries hard to understand the country, which at times is incomprehensible to its own citizens, who often can only mumble something fatalistic like “This is Russia”.
I may myself not like some things he sees and reports, but it’s not his fault. He conveys the actual reality, which currently is not a solacing view. Don’t attribute society’s and state’s ills to the author’s ill-deposed attitude to Russia. Don’t pick on him for extolling virtues of true democracy and always contemplating what he sees in Russia ….Of course a book that reports only niceties is vastly more pleasant to read. But switch on or tune to Russian State Channel news and you’ll get this rosy view in spades. That is why Russians are NOT watching their television. You may not need such disturbing depictions of our country, but we certainly do. In fact, the reality and corruption are even uglier and less conceivable. From time to time he also makes comparisons between Russia and his native UK with such comparisons not always in favor of the latter.
And after all, he is not that downbeat all the time – there are multiple moments and encounters in which he experiences generosity, wit and good humor or Russian people (not only ethnical Russians). To summarize: it is an enlightening, thought-provoking and realistic work that reads well.
P.s. it is not unavoidable to drink as much vodka as he did during his trips. I managed to stay within reasonable limits (I hate the taste of vodka) while visiting pretty much the same places and simultaneously was able not to offend my genuinely well-meaning hosts :)
Let me comment on it from Russian perspective: I think it is an exceptionally good book on the matter. One can only wonder where does this vitriol of the reviewers seep from?
First, to me the book feels absolutely objective. I unlike other foreign reviewers haven’t sensed any bad feelings toward my country and its people or at least the ones that significantly affects his ability to perceive reality objectively and I was never offended. I had a luxury of traveling to many same destinations the author visited (even that bar in Murmansk) and thus know what I am speaking. The vastness of the country is nicely captured in his strategically placed visits to its most nodal and/or characteristic points.
Yes, he confesses his downbeat emotional state at times, but it’s Ok. We’re all humans. What is important is that his emotional state does not influence the speakers he interviews. And the speakers…you may not like their opinions, but they speak what they think. And there’s a great array of opinions, just like it is in reality in Russia. His interlocutors are Stalinists, yuppies, dissidents, common folks or in general from all walks of life and layers of Russian societies. I heard those opinions thousands of times and can confirm their genuineness. They are all grounded in reality unlike Orlando Figes’s stretching, wishful thinking and outright fraud. Such array of views should be very sobering to those of you who has your own pet-theory of Russia or who thinks it is monotone and monochrome.
The author sheds light onto many pages of Russian history and does it timely, appropriately, not boring and with verve. I immensely enjoyed the book, it is not shallow, it is not glossing over or vilifying Russia. The man just tries hard to understand the country, which at times is incomprehensible to its own citizens, who often can only mumble something fatalistic like “This is Russia”.
I may myself not like some things he sees and reports, but it’s not his fault. He conveys the actual reality, which currently is not a solacing view. Don’t attribute society’s and state’s ills to the author’s ill-deposed attitude to Russia. Don’t pick on him for extolling virtues of true democracy and always contemplating what he sees in Russia ….Of course a book that reports only niceties is vastly more pleasant to read. But switch on or tune to Russian State Channel news and you’ll get this rosy view in spades. That is why Russians are NOT watching their television. You may not need such disturbing depictions of our country, but we certainly do. In fact, the reality and corruption are even uglier and less conceivable. From time to time he also makes comparisons between Russia and his native UK with such comparisons not always in favor of the latter.
And after all, he is not that downbeat all the time – there are multiple moments and encounters in which he experiences generosity, wit and good humor or Russian people (not only ethnical Russians). To summarize: it is an enlightening, thought-provoking and realistic work that reads well.
P.s. it is not unavoidable to drink as much vodka as he did during his trips. I managed to stay within reasonable limits (I hate the taste of vodka) while visiting pretty much the same places and simultaneously was able not to offend my genuinely well-meaning hosts :)
November 23, 2013
From Page 228 (my book) Oleg
“Who’s to blame? Of course we could blame the government and we could blame our leaders, but I reckon we have to blame ourselves, me and millions of Russians. Why? Because we don’t vote, we don’t believe in anything, we don’t believe that it will make a difference. We get leaders we deserve. We steal and we think nothing of stealing because everyone is stealing.”
To begin with the author is certainly opinionated, so this is no National Geographic travelogue that espouses the beauty of a country. In fact I found it downright negative, more so at the beginning. He is derogatory about Russia’s two major cities – St. Petersburg and Moscow – but he does back this up with his observations as he travels the length and breadth of this diverse country.
This is a people oriented travelogue – there are many fascinating interviews that take place in urban, rural and remote areas. I did feel the author, at the beginning, tended to romanticize both the rural peasant and Russia’s ethnic minorities. For instance on page 152 (of my book) he offers to help a group of men and women he doesn’t even know who are labouring in a potato field. One of the workers responds to him “Get us a potato lifter”, and perhaps cussing at him as well. One wonders what the author was thinking – was he there to “play peasant”? But we feel changes and growth on the part of the author, because later in the book from page 302:
“I forced myself to focus more sharply on the passing landscape and particularly at the villages: mean houses, bungalow size, many of them boarded up and surrounded by rank grass, with weeds settling in broken gutters, cart tracks for main streets... a listless horse standing in the shafts of a cart... The images trapped in my mind were not of the twenty-first century... This was rural life in the raw, without varnish.”
Overall he gives us a view of a people downtrodden by their country; with no place to wage a battle against injustice. The press (most of it), the politicians, the government is inoperable – the infrastructure is in denial from top to bottom. He takes us to Chapaevsk which has been polluted and contaminated from decades of research and experimentation in biological and chemical warfare. Cancer rates are all above average. We are taken to the Siberian city of Irkutsk where there is an AIDS epidemic. Red Cross workers are struggling to get the government to help and acknowledge the problem. And this also exemplifies the xenophobia that exists, we are provided with several examples where any Western influence (particularly from the U.S.) is exaggerated and is seen to threaten the integrity of Russia. Historically this has been the case in Russia from the Czar’s to Stalin and now Putin. And perhaps this is what has prevented Russia from “absorbing” the “human rights values” of Western societies.
Despite, at times, the overly self-obsessive preoccupations of the writer this book is well worth it. The range of his coverage is extraordinary. One gets a view of individuals in Russia struggling in their own way to overcome their tormented past.
“Who’s to blame? Of course we could blame the government and we could blame our leaders, but I reckon we have to blame ourselves, me and millions of Russians. Why? Because we don’t vote, we don’t believe in anything, we don’t believe that it will make a difference. We get leaders we deserve. We steal and we think nothing of stealing because everyone is stealing.”
To begin with the author is certainly opinionated, so this is no National Geographic travelogue that espouses the beauty of a country. In fact I found it downright negative, more so at the beginning. He is derogatory about Russia’s two major cities – St. Petersburg and Moscow – but he does back this up with his observations as he travels the length and breadth of this diverse country.
This is a people oriented travelogue – there are many fascinating interviews that take place in urban, rural and remote areas. I did feel the author, at the beginning, tended to romanticize both the rural peasant and Russia’s ethnic minorities. For instance on page 152 (of my book) he offers to help a group of men and women he doesn’t even know who are labouring in a potato field. One of the workers responds to him “Get us a potato lifter”, and perhaps cussing at him as well. One wonders what the author was thinking – was he there to “play peasant”? But we feel changes and growth on the part of the author, because later in the book from page 302:
“I forced myself to focus more sharply on the passing landscape and particularly at the villages: mean houses, bungalow size, many of them boarded up and surrounded by rank grass, with weeds settling in broken gutters, cart tracks for main streets... a listless horse standing in the shafts of a cart... The images trapped in my mind were not of the twenty-first century... This was rural life in the raw, without varnish.”
Overall he gives us a view of a people downtrodden by their country; with no place to wage a battle against injustice. The press (most of it), the politicians, the government is inoperable – the infrastructure is in denial from top to bottom. He takes us to Chapaevsk which has been polluted and contaminated from decades of research and experimentation in biological and chemical warfare. Cancer rates are all above average. We are taken to the Siberian city of Irkutsk where there is an AIDS epidemic. Red Cross workers are struggling to get the government to help and acknowledge the problem. And this also exemplifies the xenophobia that exists, we are provided with several examples where any Western influence (particularly from the U.S.) is exaggerated and is seen to threaten the integrity of Russia. Historically this has been the case in Russia from the Czar’s to Stalin and now Putin. And perhaps this is what has prevented Russia from “absorbing” the “human rights values” of Western societies.
Despite, at times, the overly self-obsessive preoccupations of the writer this book is well worth it. The range of his coverage is extraordinary. One gets a view of individuals in Russia struggling in their own way to overcome their tormented past.
May 20, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book . It is written from an intensely personal viewpoint, you feel you are seeing Russia through the eyes of someone who is very much an individual, and very much a Renaissance man - greatly experienced in politics and current events, yet he obviously enjoys the arts too. He makes the most wonderful companion for this epic journey through Russia.
Some of the subjects he covered that I found particularly fascinating, (in no particular order):
*Various excellent descriptions of Russian leaders through the ages. Not many get the thumbs up. He liked Gorbachev.
*Chechan history and its current situation.
*The nature of Russian democracy. The power of the oligarchs and the way they are in thrall to Putin. He also discusses how the major newspapers and television stations kowtow to Putin.
*The ties of Putin and his cronies with the KGB, and its security service successor, the FSB.
*Russian foreign policy, and in particular the relationship between Russia and the USA.
*Corruption, and the degree to which this is part of everyday culture.
*Life as a conscript in the Russian Army.
*The shortcomings of collective farming between 1913 and 1973, and how the statistics concerning this were misrepresented.
*The Gulag network, the experience of life in these work camps, how much of Siberian infrastructure is a result of work done by these inmates. He visited Perm 34 (the only museum for the Gulag.)
*Russia’s incredible wealth in natural resources like oil, gas, coal, platinum and diamonds.
*The experiences of Stalingrad during WW2.
*The importance of Siberian forests in counteracting global warming, and the concern that they are now under duress.
Dimbleby has a negative perspective. Several times in the book he mentions that he is currently depressed (for personal reasons) – and at times this feels quite overwhelming to him. Most of his views of Russia are pretty grim, and nowhere do we find a real counterbalance of optimism or joy. He meets individual Russians whom he finds inspiring, or whose company is a pleasure – but for the most part his assessment of Russia is fairly bleak. I didn’t mind this. My personal views concerning the world are also pretty negative, (and I’m sure if Dimbleby wrote a book about the UK - his homeland - it wouldn’t be all roses either.) Most of all with Dimbleby’s writing one gets a sense of absolute honesty. He writes about things as he sees them....and that makes his writing enormously attractive.
At the back of the book, rather than giving a straight bibliography, he suggests books that gave him “special delight or rare illumination”. First place goes to the novelists - Tolstoy is mentioned six times – he then goes on to Gogal, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Lermontov, Platonov and Zinoviev. Only then does he move on to the non-fiction writers. I like this combination – of him being a front line political journalist, yet so inspired by the heart.
I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this book. I also learnt a lot from it - I was able to get straight a lot of different scenarios which before had been a bit of a jumble He also writes beautifully. I felt sad when I was approaching the end of the book. I would have been delighted to read another 500 pages of his astute insights concerning this amazing and fascinating country.
Some of the subjects he covered that I found particularly fascinating, (in no particular order):
*Various excellent descriptions of Russian leaders through the ages. Not many get the thumbs up. He liked Gorbachev.
*Chechan history and its current situation.
*The nature of Russian democracy. The power of the oligarchs and the way they are in thrall to Putin. He also discusses how the major newspapers and television stations kowtow to Putin.
*The ties of Putin and his cronies with the KGB, and its security service successor, the FSB.
*Russian foreign policy, and in particular the relationship between Russia and the USA.
*Corruption, and the degree to which this is part of everyday culture.
*Life as a conscript in the Russian Army.
*The shortcomings of collective farming between 1913 and 1973, and how the statistics concerning this were misrepresented.
*The Gulag network, the experience of life in these work camps, how much of Siberian infrastructure is a result of work done by these inmates. He visited Perm 34 (the only museum for the Gulag.)
*Russia’s incredible wealth in natural resources like oil, gas, coal, platinum and diamonds.
*The experiences of Stalingrad during WW2.
*The importance of Siberian forests in counteracting global warming, and the concern that they are now under duress.
Dimbleby has a negative perspective. Several times in the book he mentions that he is currently depressed (for personal reasons) – and at times this feels quite overwhelming to him. Most of his views of Russia are pretty grim, and nowhere do we find a real counterbalance of optimism or joy. He meets individual Russians whom he finds inspiring, or whose company is a pleasure – but for the most part his assessment of Russia is fairly bleak. I didn’t mind this. My personal views concerning the world are also pretty negative, (and I’m sure if Dimbleby wrote a book about the UK - his homeland - it wouldn’t be all roses either.) Most of all with Dimbleby’s writing one gets a sense of absolute honesty. He writes about things as he sees them....and that makes his writing enormously attractive.
At the back of the book, rather than giving a straight bibliography, he suggests books that gave him “special delight or rare illumination”. First place goes to the novelists - Tolstoy is mentioned six times – he then goes on to Gogal, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Lermontov, Platonov and Zinoviev. Only then does he move on to the non-fiction writers. I like this combination – of him being a front line political journalist, yet so inspired by the heart.
I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this book. I also learnt a lot from it - I was able to get straight a lot of different scenarios which before had been a bit of a jumble He also writes beautifully. I felt sad when I was approaching the end of the book. I would have been delighted to read another 500 pages of his astute insights concerning this amazing and fascinating country.
May 22, 2011
This book was titled wrongly. Instead of Russia: A journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People, perhaps a more apt title would have been Russia: What's Wrong With It and How Much I Hate It in 550 Pages or Less. If the latter had been it's title then at least I would have gotten what I expected.
Jonathan Dimbleby makes no secret in this book that he thinks that Russia is broken, and that it breaks everything it touches. According to the author, it would seem, the country is broken, the people are broken, the economy is broken, the system is broken, the politics are broken, the food is broken, the environment in broken, the farming land is broken, the future of Russia is broken. It's all broken and broken for good. So, considering all this, I ask you, why would a man who clearly does not like Russia or anything to do with Russia, a man who thinks it's the cesspit of the world, why would this man make not only a documentary about the country, but then go on to also write a large book on it? Well, if you can answer me that, you are doing better than I.
I can't work it out and I gave up trying. In fact, Dimbleby's prejudice and loathing for Russia was so abhorrent that I had to force myself to keep reading from about page 400 and then I gave up with 30 pages to go. I feared his closing opinion in those last 30 pages because I was already beyond irritated with the author. I didn't want to read that he couldn't wait to get out of Russia one more time.
It would pay for this author to remember, that where there is darkness and tragedy, there is also sunshine and flowers. If you want to find tragedy and despair then it will find you a hundred times over, but if you want to find sunshine and flowers, then it will lead you down the path of better cultural understanding. Pick the flowers and walk into the sunshine, Mr Dimbleby, and you will be rewarded...or at least it will make you a better tourist.
Jonathan Dimbleby makes no secret in this book that he thinks that Russia is broken, and that it breaks everything it touches. According to the author, it would seem, the country is broken, the people are broken, the economy is broken, the system is broken, the politics are broken, the food is broken, the environment in broken, the farming land is broken, the future of Russia is broken. It's all broken and broken for good. So, considering all this, I ask you, why would a man who clearly does not like Russia or anything to do with Russia, a man who thinks it's the cesspit of the world, why would this man make not only a documentary about the country, but then go on to also write a large book on it? Well, if you can answer me that, you are doing better than I.
I can't work it out and I gave up trying. In fact, Dimbleby's prejudice and loathing for Russia was so abhorrent that I had to force myself to keep reading from about page 400 and then I gave up with 30 pages to go. I feared his closing opinion in those last 30 pages because I was already beyond irritated with the author. I didn't want to read that he couldn't wait to get out of Russia one more time.
It would pay for this author to remember, that where there is darkness and tragedy, there is also sunshine and flowers. If you want to find tragedy and despair then it will find you a hundred times over, but if you want to find sunshine and flowers, then it will lead you down the path of better cultural understanding. Pick the flowers and walk into the sunshine, Mr Dimbleby, and you will be rewarded...or at least it will make you a better tourist.
May 19, 2020
Beware, this author is culturally chauvinistic, a complete anglophile and supremely confident of the indisputable correctness of his own political views. He is also entirely self-absorbed and has an interesting moral compass, appearing to consider adultery a relatively minor issue.
Nevertheless, moving past this and his ongoing bias against the culture and politics of the country he had the privilege to visit, his narrative is mildly entertaining. There is a certain flow to the book that draws you through the history, people, landscape, and culture of the Russian Federation.
Bottom line, if you can circumnavigate Dimbleby’s hubris, this is an enjoyable enough book that reads like the script of a Sunday night travel television show; which is exactly what this is of course.
Nevertheless, moving past this and his ongoing bias against the culture and politics of the country he had the privilege to visit, his narrative is mildly entertaining. There is a certain flow to the book that draws you through the history, people, landscape, and culture of the Russian Federation.
Bottom line, if you can circumnavigate Dimbleby’s hubris, this is an enjoyable enough book that reads like the script of a Sunday night travel television show; which is exactly what this is of course.
January 20, 2021
I’ve travelled in Russia, since the age of 16 years. At first with family, but later alone. I have roots there, and maybe why I was able to get along with my hosts. Also, because the slightest whiff of vodka and I’d become a gibbering fool causing great hilarity for all. I think they must have it in the baby milk. You get the impression the author did not want to be there. Your average, everyday Russian is wise. For many generations they have had to be. They’ll read you like a book and have you sussed inside minutes. If you give the impression of not wanting to be there, they’ll figure that. To suggest that he was given an honest take, by his interviewees, might be questioned. Not for me. For me, this does not go to the heart of the people.
July 5, 2016
I bought this book quite a while ago despite rather stereotypical cover and BBC logo on it. It appeared to be the best work on Russia written by a foreigner I've encountered so far. It is in fact so empathetic that it feels like someone looking over your shoulder while you're working - that's slightly weird, but it amazes by the way person can understand you.
I'd definitely recommend this book to be read by Russians.
I'd definitely recommend this book to be read by Russians.
July 16, 2011
This is a very good book,a journey throug Russia but also about the people, the politics and the history of this great nation. If you want to understand something about Russia in general but also about Putinism now, this is a book for you.
October 15, 2022
Russia was Catholic before it fell into schism. He gets this basic fact wrong and the rest of the time he talks subtle shit about Russians and tells me about his personal depravity for no reason.
May 8, 2019
Solidna dawka informacji, dotyczących zarówno historii Rosji, jak i czasów współczesnych, sporo odniesień do literatury rosyjskiej, religii, wiele spotkań i rozmów z ciekawymi ludźmi... Wartościowa poznawczo książka, nie pozbawiona jednak wad, które moim zdaniem zdecydowanie obniżają przyjemność lektury i w wątpliwość poddają sam sens jej powstania. Jonathan Dimbleby zwyczajnie Rosji nie lubi i niechęć ta przebija niemalże z każdej napisanej przez niego strony. Brak tu obiektywizmu, który wybaczyć można zwykłemu podróżnikowi przemierzającemu Rosję z plecakiem na plecach, ale nie dziennikarzowi BBC! Brytyjczyk pojechał do Rosji z ugruntowanymi przekonaniami politycznymi i na każdym kroku podkreśla wyższość zachodniej demokracji nad pseudodemokracją rosyjską, dziwi się biedzie, korupcji, panującym stosunkom społecznym. Taki moralizatorski ton jest nużący, a miejscami wręcz irytujący. A już pisanie na samym początku podróży, że największym marzeniem jest jej zakończenie zanim jeszcze się ją na dobre zaczęło, zwyczajnie dyskwalifikuje Dimbleby'ego jako reportera. Nie wiem, czy należy tę książkę polecić innym czytelnikom, czy nie. Z jednej strony zawiera sporą dawkę przydatnych, obiektywnych informacji dotyczących rosyjskiej historii i kultury, z drugiej strony irytuje moralizatorskim tonem i podkreślaną na każdym kroku wyższością Zachodu nad dzikim Wschodem.
October 15, 2010
An interesting read that provides alot of background information on Russia history as Dimbleby travels across the country from Murmansk in the north-west to Vladivostok in the far east.
The book starts with Dimbleby suffering from depression & this is carried into his writing with him wanting to be home with his family & complaining about most this other than the vodka. It is not a typical travel book in that it contains to real information about the towns & cities visited along the way. Most chapters feature a history of the place being visited & continual comparisons with the Russia described in the books of some of the countries literary; with the extracts taken from these books becoming far too frequent at times.
Despite the title making mention of the 'journey', this isn't the case for most of the first half of the book other than a few occasions, although this does change during the Trans-Siberian raliway section of the trip.
The auther is not an easy one to like due to his complaining, his unwillingness to try (or so it appears) anything russian other than vodka & the way he compares almost everything to things back in England (sometimes Britain)& his occasional comments on the arrogance of others make him seem hypocritical as he makes them.
Despite all this the book is very detailed & provides an insight into Russia & it's people. More of a biref history lesson than an outright travel book like those of Michael Palin, the book was a challenging read but always an interesting one.
The book starts with Dimbleby suffering from depression & this is carried into his writing with him wanting to be home with his family & complaining about most this other than the vodka. It is not a typical travel book in that it contains to real information about the towns & cities visited along the way. Most chapters feature a history of the place being visited & continual comparisons with the Russia described in the books of some of the countries literary; with the extracts taken from these books becoming far too frequent at times.
Despite the title making mention of the 'journey', this isn't the case for most of the first half of the book other than a few occasions, although this does change during the Trans-Siberian raliway section of the trip.
The auther is not an easy one to like due to his complaining, his unwillingness to try (or so it appears) anything russian other than vodka & the way he compares almost everything to things back in England (sometimes Britain)& his occasional comments on the arrogance of others make him seem hypocritical as he makes them.
Despite all this the book is very detailed & provides an insight into Russia & it's people. More of a biref history lesson than an outright travel book like those of Michael Palin, the book was a challenging read but always an interesting one.
March 20, 2017
Dimbleby is a talented writer who juggles several balls in this book, offering a travelogue, history book, political analysis as well as a personal narrative in which the Russian steppe acts as a kind of metaphysical landscape, reflecting his state of mind. He's not a dispassionate observer and isn't afraid to say what he finds depressing about Russia and the Russians, or to offer his opinion on its recent political developments. He covers a lot of ground ( in both senses), meets a lot of people and isn't afraid to ask them difficult and probing questions about their lives and views. Valuable historical context is woven seamlessly into the narrative but doesn't overwhelm the human stories.
The prose is occasionally a little purple but this is mostly involving and stimulating. At the end of the book he says he wouldn't do the trip again, but he's glad he did it once. So am I.
The prose is occasionally a little purple but this is mostly involving and stimulating. At the end of the book he says he wouldn't do the trip again, but he's glad he did it once. So am I.
September 26, 2022
Very interesting to read this book in light of what has happened in Ukraine. I wonder if the Russians he interviewed would give the same answers now about their lack of interest in democracy.
March 3, 2021
Pompous, self absorbed, self pitying and dull.
November 25, 2017
To start, this took me a very long time to read - I visited Russia twice in the meantime. It is a dense book, and in a steady tone that can become trying at times. The author takes the well-worn trans-siberian route, but visits other places key to his mission - to understand the Russian psyche at a point in history (2008). It's nearly 10 years old now, and much has changed, but it's a comprehensive and fairly balanced snapshot of that period. It isn't journalism - the author's bias and opinions about 'Putin's Russia' (a term at which my Russian friends often roll their eyes and say 'it's not Putin's Russia, it is OUR Russia') are very clear throughout and the comments of his interviewees are rebuked in the text somewhat. However, I have read many of these books journeying across Russia looking for insight and this is by far the least patronising (particularly compared to American authors) and critical. The author has a genuine curiosity, understanding of the language and experience living in the region. His conclusion that it's likely no one can hope to understand the complex and broad nature of Russia and the Russian people is right and humble. To read this book now, and to persevere until the end, you really have to be a russo-phile.
May 31, 2012
I really enjoyed the BBC series when it aired, having long since held a fascination for Russia. The book didn't disappoint either.
I expected it to just be a recounting of the places Jonathon visited and the people he met, along with a few anecdotes along the way. It was all that and more.
Jonathon takes us on a social, historical, political and personal journey as he travels this vast continent.It is an in depth account of the lives of those who live, work and play in Russia and includes some frank insights into the lives of those who are affected by the corruption and power struggles that still blight Russia today.
Simultaneously, it includes a valuable history lesson as Jonathon visits those places that are destined to stay on the emotional, historical map, including Stalingrad, Beslan and Perm 36 (to name but a few).
In all, thsi book is an intersting and honest account of Russia's past, its present, and its peoles' hopes for the future.
I expected it to just be a recounting of the places Jonathon visited and the people he met, along with a few anecdotes along the way. It was all that and more.
Jonathon takes us on a social, historical, political and personal journey as he travels this vast continent.It is an in depth account of the lives of those who live, work and play in Russia and includes some frank insights into the lives of those who are affected by the corruption and power struggles that still blight Russia today.
Simultaneously, it includes a valuable history lesson as Jonathon visits those places that are destined to stay on the emotional, historical map, including Stalingrad, Beslan and Perm 36 (to name but a few).
In all, thsi book is an intersting and honest account of Russia's past, its present, and its peoles' hopes for the future.
September 14, 2015
With some unexpected revelations about the author's own personal emotional pain, this is a terrific west to east journey right across the diameter of Russia, split into chapters named after each region and with maps that I found very useful and to which I referred often.
Jonathan goes off the beaten track to meet the people but of course you get the obvious callings from the canals of St Petersburg to the caviar of Astrakhan as we follow the Volga through the Urals and into Siberia.
It's mystical, wide-eyed and all from an innocent and very British perspective. Just as if you wrote it yourself if like me, you haven't traveled all that much yet on this occasion dared to leave your loved ones and risk far away lands. After all, Colin Thubron aside, who really ever explored Siberia ?
By the end I felt not just closer to Russia but closer to JD.
A great read for the curious or fellow admirers of Mother Russia's people, language and culture.
Jonathan goes off the beaten track to meet the people but of course you get the obvious callings from the canals of St Petersburg to the caviar of Astrakhan as we follow the Volga through the Urals and into Siberia.
It's mystical, wide-eyed and all from an innocent and very British perspective. Just as if you wrote it yourself if like me, you haven't traveled all that much yet on this occasion dared to leave your loved ones and risk far away lands. After all, Colin Thubron aside, who really ever explored Siberia ?
By the end I felt not just closer to Russia but closer to JD.
A great read for the curious or fellow admirers of Mother Russia's people, language and culture.
June 16, 2015
Mammoth in scope, it documents a journey of 10,000 miles from Murmansk to Vladivostock through Putin's Russia - the crypto-facist state. On one level a travleogue, on another a pyschological journey though his own inner world, Jonathan Dimbleby has produced a fine insight into modern Russia. A must read for Russophiles.
August 12, 2013
This book is so well written that I didn't want to get to the end. Dimbleby was experiencing some personal lows at the time of writing and his odyssey was personal as well as geographical/social commentary. He is insightful and critical but always fair - a remarkable book to read while living here.
June 16, 2015
I was initially excited about this book, but my enthusiasm waned it became clear that Dimbleby's journey through this immense land was accompanied by his persistent depression, longing to be back home, and an almost dislike of Russia and its history. I quit reading three quarters of the way through the 576 pages.
March 25, 2012
Excellent, intelligent, emphatic and personal. provides you with new and not so new perspectives on the enormous diversity of Russian history, geography, peoples and views. Strongly recommended for anyone trying to get more depth and variety on how to understand Russia.
January 26, 2009
The book demonstrates why someone should not go to Russia (or any country)for a substantial period of time when they are depressed.
Currently reading
October 24, 2010A very last minute impulse buy at the airport
Want to read
March 24, 2011L is reading it.
September 11, 2014
An informative and, at times, moving account of the author's travels through Russia.
October 5, 2014
I really liked the book and the russian journey, but the whining author drive me nuts!
October 3, 2017
Incredible, depressing, monotonous and exciting all at the same time. What an amazing book, it really captures both Russia and the author's experience there.
January 16, 2019
A hard read.
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