{"product_id":"9781472991362-russia-starts-here","title":"Russia Starts Here","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReal Lives in the Ruins of Empire - Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Prize 2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn extraordinary investigation into the lives of ordinary people in Russia and what lies behind Putin's popularity.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A different level of insight to anything I’ve read for a long time about Russia.' \u003c\/b\u003e- Sophy Roberts, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lost Pianos of Siberia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eExquisitely observed.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eFull of empathy, Amos refuses easy stereotypes.\u003c\/b\u003e' - Tom Parfitt, author of \u003ci\u003eHigh Caucasus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eTruly kaleidoscopic and unique\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e in its reach, this is\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ea superbly written and unusual book' \u003c\/b\u003e- Caroline Eden, author of \u003ci\u003eCold Kitchen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReturning to an overlooked region on the edge of Russia, Howard Amos sets out on a quest to understand the country he once called home.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn Russia’s European borderlands, people live their lives among the ruins of successive empires. Pskov, an old Slavic land of forgotten stories and faded waysides, has weathered the tides of history. Once a thriving nexus of trade and cultural exchange, today it is one of the poorest and most rapidly depopulating places of this vast nation. To understand the darkness that has captured Russia, Howard Amos journeys through a landscape of small towns, re-wilding fields and dilapidated churches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a lyrical portrait of Russia where it meets NATO and the EU – a place of frontiers and boundaries that reveals unfamiliar and uncomfortable truths. In a country where history has been erased, manipulated and marginalised, the voices Howard Amos spotlights are a powerful antidote against forgetting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the last inhabitants of a dying village to the long-term residents of a psychiatric hospital and a museum curator fighting local opposition to chronicle Pskov’s forgotten Jewish heritage, Howard Amos uncovers compelling stories that are shaped by violence, tragedy and loss. He also encounters some of the powerful men who have loomed over Pskov leaving a troubling legacy in their wake, from far-right politicians to Putin's personal priest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55563250139510,"sku":"9781472991362","price":15.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_34007303.jpg?v=1753427279","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781472991362-russia-starts-here","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}