Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
If this novel came out in Russia during the Soviet era, the author could get a 10-year sentence just for writing it.
The myth of the Bolshevik Revolution and its aftermath was tightly controlled by the KGB. Historical records were changed beyond recognition and newsreels passed as original were actually fakes, shot at the government-controlled movie studios years later.
The only thing the Party couldn't erase was people's memories.
Based on thorough research in private and public archives all over the world, the Russian Treasures series propelled Elvira Baryakina into the international spotlight. Today, she is one of Russia's most beloved authors, known for captivating novels about neglected historical events that shaped the future of the world.
The year is 1917. Ten years after leaving his home on bad terms, Klim Rogov returns to Russia to claim his inheritance after his wealthy father's death. He meets Nina, a young businesswoman, and falls in love with her, but all of his plans are ruined during a gloomy October night when the Reds seize power in the country.
As a famous foreign journalist, Klim has a chance to escape the civil war unleashed by the Bolshevik Revolution, though now he feels like a first-class passenger on the Titanic, who has to save only himself or die. Time is running out, and Klim must make a fateful decision that will cost him dearly either way.
Relive the Bolshevik Revolution as a free-spirited man who refuses to desert the woman he loves and decides to remain in the Land of the Soviets, fighting for their lives throughout the bloody struggles of the Russian civil war.
Synopsis
For most of his life, Klim Rogov has been working abroad as a journalist. In the summer of 1917, he returns to a Russia devastated by the Great War to claim an inheritance left to him by his father. If he had wrapped up his affairs and left the country earlier, he might have escaped the violence of the Bolshevik Revolution, however, he finds himself tarrying for good reason after meeting an amazing young woman by the name of Nina Odintzova.
Widowed at eighteen, she has the strength and composure to run a flax mill, see off a band of robbers with an unloaded gun, and take care of her grumpy mother-in-law. But Klim senses that she is much more vulnerable than she is prepared to let on: nothing has ever prepared her for the heavy burden she now has to bear.
Klim has a foreign passport that can guarantees him a way out of the anarchy, but he can't leave Nina behind. The Bolsheviks take everything from them: first their property, then their freedom of movement, and finally the inherent right of each individual to be true to themselves.
If you are a citizen of this new country, you can forget about seeking happiness and a normal life. The new regime in Russia has made no secret of its plans to transform its people into the unquestioning soldiers and worker ants that will create their brave new Bolshevik world. The choice is stark and brutal: you can either build communism like everybody else or find yourself in a premature shallow grave.
Attempting to escape the country, Klim and Nina have to confront a fearsome enemy that few have the courage to challenge-a system that is so all-powerful it doesn't even acknowledge your existence, crushing its enemies like unwanted vermin. If you happen to fall under the wheels of this unstoppable machine, no one will care. However, where there is life, there is hope, and where there is a will, there is a way.
Russian Treasures is one of those precious books that brings the past into the present, and it's a rare find for readers who enjoy being transported to different places and eras. This novel is based on a huge number of thoroughly researched archive documents and memoirs. You will learn many of the root causes of the Bolshevik revolution and find out why a small band of communists were able to seize and hold on to power in the largest country in the world. Russian Treasures will provide an answer to the main question everyone asks about Soviet Russia: How did those people who refused to give up their principles and beliefs survived one of the most dramatic events of the 20th century?
Synopsis
In the summer of 1917, Russia is on the brink of an unprecedented catastrophe. Trade is still booming in its colorful cities, couples tango in ballrooms, and grand mansions of nobility stand untouched, quiet and poetic. In two months the Bolshevik revolution will tear the old Russian Empire apart.
Klim Rogov returns from abroad and immediately realizes that the storm is coming-his journalist's instincts never let him down. His plan is to claim his inheritance after his wealthy father's death and immediately come back to Buenos Aires to his successful career, fame, and fans.
But as soon as he crosses the threshold of his home, he runs into an uninvited guest. Passionate, strong-willed, and fearless, Nina Odintsova blows Klim away. Despite the odds, she manages to run a successful business and keep her family afloat, but now she is about to lose everything in the flames of the Bolshevik revolution.
Klim knows that if he does not leave Russia, he will pay a terrible price. But he refuses to desert the woman he loves and decides to remain in the Land of the Soviets, fighting for their lives throughout the bloody struggles of the Russian civil war.
Compelling and uplifting, Elvira Baryakina's novel illuminates long-neglected episodes in Russian history, all the while entertaining and educating the reader.
Synopsis
In the summer of 1917, few people realize that Russia is on the verge of an unprecedented catastrophe. Trade continues to boom in its colorful cities, couples tango in ballrooms, and grand mansions of nobility stand untouched, quiet and poetic. Yet within three months, the Bolshevik revolution will tear the Russian Empire apart.
Klim Rogov returns from abroad and senses that a storm is coming-his journalist's instincts never let him down. His plan is to claim his inheritance and return to Buenos Aires where his successful career, fame, and fans await.
Upon setting foot in his deceased father's house, Klim runs into an uninvited guest. Passionate, strong-willed, and fearless, Nina Odintsova dazzles him. Despite her odds, she has managed to run a successful business and keep her family afloat. Now she is about to lose everything in the flames of the Bolshevik revolution.
Klim knows that if he stays in Russia, he will pay a terrible price. But he cannot desert the woman he now loves, and he makes the decision to remain in the Land of the Soviets where he will fight for their lives amidst the bloody clashes between the Red Army and the White Guard.
RUSSIAN TREASURES is a story of impossible love, insane courage, and the most difficult choices a person could ever make.
Inspired by the most dramatic events in Russian history, Elvira Baryakina's uplifting novel illuminates the complex reasons for the October Revolution of 1917 and introduces the readers to a fascinating yet eerie world of the nascent communist dictatorship.