Sovietistan

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A mesmerising trip across Central Asia, this travelogue offers an unforgettable journey through the former Soviet Republics—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—each of which gained independence after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. Prizewinning author Erika Fatland explores how these nations have evolved, revealing stories that even seasoned travelers might not know. In Kyrgyzstani villages, she encounters victims of bride snatching and visits the desolate Polygon in Kazakhstan, a site of Soviet nuclear tests. She meets Chinese shrimp gatherers by the Aral Sea and witnesses the fall of a dictator. Traveling incognito in Turkmenistan, she engages with human rights activists in Kazakhstan and survivors of the 2010 Osh massacre. Fatland also meets German Mennonites who settled in Kyrgyzstan two centuries ago. Throughout her journey, she observes the clash between ancient customs and modern gas production, as well as the tensions between ethnic Russians and the local majority in a nation navigating its Nationalist identity. Amidst the treasures of Samarkand and the starkness of Soviet architecture, her openness to the people and landscapes creates a rare and unforgettable narrative. Translated from Norwegian by Kari Dickson.