Natasha's Dance

In this huge volume Figes tries to answer complex questions about Russian identity and culture - what makes the country and the people tick - and he does this brilliantly with insight and humour. Russia has always been an enigma to the Western world. We probably know more about its political history than about its people, and thankfully the book does not get stuck in the political mire. Far from it; Figes entertains the reader without watering down the history, and draws us in to the heartbeat of the Russian people. One of the chapters is titled 'In search of the Russian soul' and deals with the almost morbid veneration of suffering, the great desire for martyrdom, which seems to be a core element of the national character; and how Russian composers, artists and writers sought to express this trait and question its origins. He writes about the lives of the peasants, their rituals, their weddings, how they cooked, and what they ate. 'Moscow was a city of gourmands', Figes tells us as he writes of the excesses of the nobility, where princes vied with one another for the best chef and the best hospitality, and drank themselves silly on vodka. His portrait is intimate, eavesdropping into the hearts and minds of the populace, revealing their suffering and their humour. The writing is delightfully accessible and packed full of facts, yet its tone is light. He studies Tchaikovsky, Chagall, Stravinsky, religious icons and daily customs, and Russia's pagan roots. There is a fascinating chapter entitled 'Descendants of Genghiz Khan' and one about the artist Kandinsky's personal exploration of the Komi region, as he studied the roots of Russian folk culture. Then there are the brutalising effects of revolt and revolution, the rise of Lenin and Stalin, and how individual expression was crushed in the 20th century by communism. As an introduction to Russian culture there is nothing better than this, and there is plenty of meat for Russophiles everywhere. Figes is an internationally renowned historian and here he makes the history of this strange and melancholy country available to all. (Kirkus UK)