Behind Putin’s Curtain: Friendships and Misadventures Inside Russia

Journalist Orth (Couchsurfing in Iran) delivers a jaunty description of his travels through what feels like “enemy territory.” Following a mostly beaten path across Siberia, with excursions into the Caucasus, in late summer 2016, Orth sets two goals: discovering what is on young Russians’ minds and attempting to understand “the Putin phenomenon.” The result is more an amusing travelogue than a deep investigation. His commentary pays the standard homage to vodka-drenched soulfulness in a post-Soviet hinterland and quippily weaves together trivia, generalizations (“North Caucasian men are not as tough as they seem”), and vague statistical references (“according to surveys the number of people regretting the breakup of the U.S.S.R. has risen from 2013”). But he does offer amusing details, such as his first breakfast in Moscow of oatmeal topped with “banana slices, meringues, chocolate cookies... a clump of frozen yoghurt and some lime,” and sketches of such characters as Sasha, a 28-year-old engineer from Sevastopol, who laments living in a country without ideals, and Nadya, who “likes motorbikes, fast cars... [and] sleek yachts and knows all the barkeepers in Novosibirsk.” Armchair travelers will enjoy this sojourn, but those seeking a serious analysis of Russian culture today can pass this by. (May)