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 only a handful of American women who have lived and 
worked in this part of the world, Hudgins debunks 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.

    Hudgin’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 
gastronomically disadvantaged.

    Readers of The Other Side of Russia will find themselves among 
the guests at Christmas parties, New Year’s banquets, Easter 
dinners, and birthday celebrations. They will experience the 
challenges of living in high-rise apartment buildings often lacking 
water, heat, and electricity. Above all, Asian Russia’s natural 
beauty, thriving cities, and proud people shine from the pages, 
proving it is not only a land of harsh winters and vast uninhabited 
spaces, but also a home to millions of Russian citizens who live 
and work in modern metropolises and enjoy a rich cultural and 
social life.

_________________________________________________________

An award-winning food and travel writer, SHARON HUDGINS 
has taught for the University of Maryland University College in 
Germany, Spain, Greece, Japan, Korea, and Russia. She served as 
an administrator for the university’s two undergraduate degree 
programs in Siberia and the Russian Far East. Hudgins currently 
resides in McKinney, Texas, with her husband, Tom.


Number Twenty-one: Eastern European Studies


What people are saying about this book

". . . Hudgins mingles her insights with useful explanations about
the history and development of these regions. . . . Readers will
enjoy Hudgins's lively narrative style and the inclusion of
photographs."—Library Journal

"Sharon Hudgins has written a vivid and engrossing book about
a part of the world that’s both geographically and ethnically complex.
She’s done much to make the unfamiliar familiar."—Larry McMurtry

"Rare is the person who can step into the wonderland of Siberia
and capture the culture and the spirit of its people. Sharon
Hudgins has done that and more. . . . This is a warm, considered,
and completely engaging work from start to finish. For those
seeking a window into the soul of Siberia, you need look no
further."—James A. Cramer, President & CEO, World Learning

"Like Hedrick Smith's best-seller, The Russians, Sharon Hudgins'
The Other Side of Russia takes the reader inside Russia, to the
daily life of the people and the economic and political realities
in the post-Soviet era. It goes well beyond being a travelogue,
and provides insight well beyond the confines of Siberia. A great
read."—Helen Hundley, Wichita State University

"Chapter 7, entitled 'The High-Rise Village,' is an instant classic
in the literature on Russia. This is a wonderful book that has
something for all . . . it will entertain everyone from lay persons
to Slavic scholars."—Victor L. Mote, University of Houston and
author of Siberia: Worlds Apart

". . . an exceptional book that presents a multi-layered picture of
Russia . . . an essential book for those who hope to understand
the changes that have shaken Siberia and the Russian Far East
over the past decade . . ."—Bill Richardson, University of
Washington Tacoma

"Sharon Hudgins' perceptive memoir of survival in modern
Siberia is full of anecdotes, conversation, humor, food, friendships,
and hardships. . . an animated examination of grim, grimy and
unpredictably gracious ordinary life in the extraordinary place she
calls ‘Absurdistan.’"—Alfred Friendly, Jr., co-author of Ecocide in
the USSR and former Newsweek Moscow bureau chief