Sovietistan

Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

By: Erika Fatland

Narrated by: Jill Rolls

Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan became free of the Soviet Union in 1991. But though they are new to modern statehood, this is a region rich in ancient history, culture, and landscapes unlike anywhere else in the world.

Traveling alone, Erika Fatland is a true adventurer in every sense. In Sovietistan, she takes the listener on a compassionate and insightful journey to explore how their Soviet heritage has influenced these countries, with governments experimenting with both democracy and dictatorships.

In Kyrgyzstani villages, she meets victims of the tradition of bride snatching; she visits the huge and desolate Polygon in Kazakhstan where the Soviet Union tested explosions of nuclear bombs; she meets shrimp gatherers on the banks of the dried-out Aral Sea; she witnesses the fall of a dictator.

She travels incognito through Turkmenistan, a country that is closed to journalists. She meets exhausted human rights activists in Kazakhstan, survivors from the massacre in Osh in 2010, and German Mennonites who found paradise on the Kyrgyzstani plains 200 years ago. We learn how ancient customs clash with gas production and witness the underlying conflicts between ethnic Russians and the majority in a country that is slowly building its future in nationalist colors.

Once the frontier of the Soviet Union, life follows another pace of time. Amidst the treasures of Samarkand and the brutalist Soviet architecture, Sovietistan is a rare and unforgettable adventure.

©2020 Erika Fatland (P)2021 Scribd Audio

good collection of History

I got a foreign exchange student from one of these countries, so I got this book in hopes to better understand where they came from. it definitely wasn't eye-opener in the central Asia countries. book did get a little dry at some parts, but overall it was educational and I got what I came for.

A delightful book

A delightfully engaging and informative book that weaves centuries of history with present day travels with ease. I knew almost nothing about the ‘Stans and wouldn’t say I’m particularly interested in them but the author convinced me otherwise. Definitely worth a listen.

Fascinating and enjoyable

I have a much deeper understanding of Central Asia. It was well written. Very interesting.

Wonderful enlightening

Very informative book which is a combination travel log, history and political insight of an area not usually visited by westerners.

Outstanding book

I had developed an interest in this book after reading Peter Hopkirk‘s work. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I discovered is a book that is not just a travel book but deep and inspiring story of the people groups and their histories that shaped the region. With the recent reemergence of an imperialist Soviet mentality, this book has become an important read. I could not recommended it more highly. It is wonderfully researched and artfully told. It is well worth the investment in time.