Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia

I first read this magnificent tome on Russian history and culture in 1997. As it was part of a history class in college, the first read was a bit of a drag...page after page of description concerning the minutia of Russian life: clothes, churches, meals, religious & superstitious rituals, architecture, commerce, political strife, and so on. Really, with the whirl of the Social Circus of that college year, trudging through all this obscure information brought me no end of grief and silent lamentation! To think of all that time I could have been out with friends looking to score whatever cheap release was on hand or burning inside...spent instead sludging through *detailed history*!Cut to four years later...I'm going to Russia. In two weeks. Like so many other unplanned affairs that seem to formulate out of nowhere and take one by the lapels, shoving one screaming into the storm of life, this reviewer took it in stride and decided to find some quick-but-informative text on the destination in mind--especially one with such contradictory reports as Mother Russia. Thus, I dug this out of my library and began anew, stifling a faint unpleasant feeling no doubt inspired by those long sleepless college nights. There had to be some merit here, yes?Oh yes.'Land of the Firebird' is a WONDERFUL and ENGAGING in-depth look of Russian history from 987-1917, spanning the ascension of Vlad and the Orthodox Church to right before the Revolution. With colorful prose Suzanne Massie details the variety of Russian existence--tsars and serfs and merchant-princes and babushkas--no stone is left uncovered as she cross-references nearly a thousands years, writing with equal consideration of art, poetry, country-life, court-life, politics and its myriad games, myths and legends, influence "outside the sphere." It would be impossible to truly set down the full range of Russia experience for this time in the 450 pages allotted the reader, but the author does an admirable job in covering the major shakers and movers and events while sparing a considerable amount of print for the minor peoples and patterns that set the foundation of this ancient, troubled country. It certainly put an interesting light on what I saw come the spring of '01. Indispensable for the casual student of Russia.

I bought this book in the early 80's and absolutely loved it. I recommended it to friends who were going to spend a year in Russia. They took it with them and shared it with their Russian friends, who copied whole chapters by hand -- all the while bemoaning the loss of so much of their rich, pre-revolutionary culture.

Having read many books on Russian history, architecture, notable personalties and points of interest, I found this book to be invaluable. It is a must have if you're interested in Russian history, planning to travel there, or simply want to try to understand how a Russian thinks. Also has wonderful illustrations and photographs.

For an interesing, riveting compilation of history combined with art, this book is unmatched in its ability to inform the reader without getting bogged down in excessive analysis and/or description of historical events. Ms. Massie also treats history and art as appendages of each other, and in a style as narratively friendly as her most popular book, Nicholas and Alexandra. It is a "must" in advance of a Russian tour, and a good one to have in one's personal reference library.

The author is highly knowedgeable and her descriptions and research behind them are authentic and authoritative. It is an enjoyable read and I found it hard to put down! I have lived in Russia for almost 7 years and only regret the time I spent here without having read this insightful and throught-provoking book. I recommend it highly especially for those planning to visit or move to Russia. Russia is a complex and fascinating land which is best enjoyed and appreciated by those with a handful of understanding of her rich and turbulent history and the hidden gems of her culture and values. This book has confirmed many things we have observed in our 7 years here, but also has opened my eyes (and heart) to see and love Russia in new and exciting ways. Although this book is out of print (a loss to us all), it is well worth the work of getting your hands on a copy.