The Other Side of Russia: A Slice of Life in Siberia and the Russian Far East Book

"Travel to post-Soviet Siberia and the Russian Far East with author Sharon Hudgins as she takes readers on a personal adventure through the Asian side of Russia - an area closed to most Westerners and many Russians prior to the 1990s. Even today, few people from the West have ridden the Trans-Siberian railroad in winter, stood on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, feasted with the Siberian Buryats, or lived in the "high-rise villages" of Vladivostok and Irkutsk." "One of the few American women who has lived and worked in this part of the world, Hudgins dispels many of the myths and misconceptions that surround this "other side of Russia." She artfully depicts the details of everyday life, set within their cultural and historical context - local customs, foods, and festivals, as well as urban life, the education system, and the developing market economy in post-Soviet Siberia and the Russian Far East." Hudgins's prose shines in her colorful descriptions of multi-course meals washed down with champagne and vodka, often eaten by candlelight when the electricity failed. The author's accounts of hors d'oeuvres made of sea slugs and roulades of raw horse liver will fascinate those with adventuresome tastes, while her stories of hosting Spanish, French, and Tex-Mex feasts will come as a surprise to anyone who thinks of Russia as a gastronomic wasteland.