Open Lands

... and Mark Taplin indeed seizes the day, taking an opportunity that had not existed for the better part of a century. He first went to the Soviet Union in 1984, a fitting date, and experienced the closure of this vast country that spans 12 time zones. Only a sliver of the country was accessible to foreigners then, and only if "all your papers were in order." Suddenly the door is thrown open, in 1992, and Taplin returns, and virtually the entire country is suddenly available, if one can deal with the logistics and infrastructure. His destinations range throughout the country, a version of "going to extremes": the Far East, deep in the Caucasus, in Siberia along the border with Mongolia, and the Far North. He visits Vorkuta, literally straight from the pages of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag. It is in near the Arctic Ocean, there is no access by road. Many people continue to live in this extremely harsh climate, working in the mines, because they have no alternative, and the wages are relatively good, and accommodation is in the "company town." Taplin chronicles the story of one of the Gulag's victims, Veniamin Vasilev, who thought he was a good communist, but became the victim of an anonymous denunciation, and was swept away into the system without appeal. More outraging is the story of Vladimir Timonin who personified many most unfortunate citizens-soldiers of the time: he was captured by the Germans in the early days of World War II, spent the entire war in their slave labor camps, and when he was "liberated" by the advancing Soviet forces in 1945 he was again interned, as a traitor for having been captured, and sent to Vorkuta. In the Far North he also visits Archangelsk, and the Solovetskiy Monastery. The later is immense, and one of the most sacred places in all Russian Orthodoxy. It has been a witness to the remarkable twists of history, much little know in the West, from the revolt of the "Old Believers" against the new reforms introduced by Czar Alexis, to the intervention of Allied Forces, including Americans, in the Russian Civil War, between the Whites and the Reds, following the First World War. Talpin ends this section with a moving tribute to Russia written by a young American lieutenant. Talpin goes to the southern extreme, visiting Kabardino-Balkaria, in Russia's equivalent of the "damnable" Balkans, the always troublesome (for outsiders) Caucasus. Talpin displays his knowledge of the Koran with numerous quotes. He also quotes General Beppayev, in the "Balkar republic,": "But here we do not have real democracy. Here the elections are always won by the people who have the power. So elections are a sham..." Certainly a sentiment that transcends the borders of Balkar. The chapter on Tuva, near the border with Mongolia, in deepest Siberia, was equally impressive. He travels harsh distances with his guide Misha. His section on the "village writers," those who had: "their measure of earthly paradise was, instead, the Russian peasant and h

As an American who has lived in Russia at various times over 4 decades, over 40 years, both under Communism and in the decade since the fall of the Communist regime, I can say "Open Lands" really resonates. The author has done an excellent job of conveying the feel of the place - the look, climate, atmosphere. Beyond that, he's done a very good job indeed weaving the larger political and historical context into the work, so that places are set in time and space. Beautifully written, sensitive, accurate, telling account with great eye for detail. Fascinating, and worth buying.

A former member of the US embassy staff in the old Soviet Union, Taplin is able to walk you through the booze fueled transistion from communism to democracy. It's not a blow by blow historical read but a time stamp of someone who was there when these events happened and chronicles the reactions of the average Yuri on the street to the countries tectonics. The title is a reference to the agreement (the Open Lands agreement) signed between the US and Russia that allowed each others citizens unimpeded access to the areas of the respective countries. When Nikita Kruschev came to America he was irate at not being allowed to visit LA. It was closed. With the new open lands agreement Taplin journeys to the previously unvisited (by Americans) towns of Russia. A great job.

A keen reader of travelogues, I borrowed a copy of Taplin's book some years ago from the library and after reading it, I JUST HAD TO GET MY OWN!! I am often wary when picking up books written by Westerners on a country which is their traditional "nemesis", but Taplin does a great job in describing his journey through lesser-known parts of Russia. His writing is sensitive, but not over-sentimental. In addition to the many memorable people he meets on his journey, his book is filled with lovely black & white pictures at the beginning of each chapter, which allows us a tiny view into the areas he is describing before we finally get a chance to go there (can hardly wait!). A book about the new Russia, the hopes and strengths of her resilient people, "Open Lands" is engaging, moving and unforgettable. See you in Vladivostok! (*Still am surprised Singapore came up twice in the book!)

While I would not argue with the Kirkus Review of "Open Lands," what I think it fails to underscore is the author's ability to see the poignant and the humorous, the tragic and the bizarre, and that he knows when to view aspects of Russian society with sympathy. He travelled to such different regions of Russia, and with so little of the trappings of A Famous Writer, that he was able to crack open a bit more of this very enigmatic society. It would have been extremely easy to write a thoroughly depressing books about contemporary Russia -- "The New Russians" comes to mind -- but Mr. Taplin looks into the Russian soul in a way that makes Russia seem more accessible without being too depressing. My favorite comment in this regard was how he observed upon entering a Russian's apartment that it was not in public spaces that one learns how Russians think, but behind closed doors of their homes. This very well researched book combines historical perspective of the Tsarist and Soviet eras, the author's own very whimsical view of his experiences, and some serious insight into contemporary Russians. This would be a great gift book for lovers of travel books, as well as students of Russia.