©
Simon Pielow
Russia Travel Guide
©
Simon Pielow
Sometime before, during or after your trip to Russia you will probably want to learn more about your host country and its culture. Because even though the people you meet and the things you see while there will be a unique experience, books and films can sometimes help you to remember them even better...
My favourite book about Siberia is "In Siberia" by Colin Thubron, which although it dates from the early 21st century is absolutely fascinating. The writer talks about his trip through Siberia by bus, truck and train and the people he meets along the way. Or, if you prefer something more quirky there is always Dervla Murphy's "Through Siberia by Accident" which is a very engaging description of her journey, not by the Trans-Siberian railway, but on the 20 m.p.h. Baikal-Amur train. Like all of Murphy's books it is full of the friends and companions she met on her travels. There's nothing better before going to Russia than to read a little about it!
If you are going there to have an adventure then you should read Sylvain Tesson. He knows Russia very well and has written several books about it including "The Consolations of the Forest" which recounts the six months he spent in a wooden hut on the shores of Lake Baikal, in Siberia. In his books the geography of a place is often the most important.
I don't want to talk about traditional tourist guides which can be a bit boring and difficult to read but here is one I do recommend.
There is the excellent DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Russia which, as always, is clear, easy to read and helpful, with hundreds of beautiful colour photographs that make you really want to go there, as well as describing all the unmissable sites. If you want to be more detailed they have one on Moscow and one on St Petersburg as well.
Of course, Russia is the home of great writers like Chekov, Tolstoy, and Pasternak, so reading some of their works will also give you an idea of Russian culture and history. .
Finally, if you would like to look at Russia rather than read about it, then try Andrew Moore's Russia, Beyond Utopia", ,a quirky collection of Russian buildings, landscapes and objects.
If you prefer pictures to writing when you are getting ready for your globe-trotting trip to Russia, then I recommend the film version of the book Consolations of the Forest by Sylvain Tesson, which is called Alone, 180 Days on Baikal Lake (in French with English subtitles) where you can see the French writer live through his solitude (with a camera). As he didn't move around much, there are few pictures of Russia in general, but you can easily see how this part of the country changed in 6 months and that is also travelling!
The Return is a powerful film about the return of a father who has been missing for 12 years. The scenes of the Russian countryside are staggering and the performances of all the actors amazing. A good introduction to Russia on many levels. (In Russian with subtitles) Perfect for travellers or dreamers!
