Running with Reindeer

Shortlisted for the 2004 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award - extraordinary tales of living in the Murmansk region of north-western Russia after the collapse of Communism

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Russian Lapland is rarely heard of today but after World War I it was briefly at the centre of the ideological divide as the Bolsheviks brought land clearances, slave labour and the suppression of the indigenous Lapps. Travelling across tundra and taiga, through wetlands and forests, and in all seasons, Roger Took found a pristine wilderness full of wildlife. He lived among Saami families struggling to retain their traditions of herding and hunting, and was welcomed by pioneer villagers descended from medieval fur-traders. He describes life in the wild and isolated Soviet mining towns and the great industrial Arctic port of Murmansk, and also how he managed to uncover some of the secret lost areas, long closed to Russians and foreigners alike. As nuclear submarines rot and old industries crumble, he observes how new Russian biznes is creating wealth in its own way. The result is a series of encounters, some emotional but historically rich, some comical but dangerous, others absurd but endearing.Moving between the lines of the official histories, coping with arduous Arctic conditions, avoiding the still-vigilant security services, Roger Took presents a vivid account of a unique part of Europe.