"Vast forbidden areas, once marked in red on official maps of the Soviet Union, were suddenly thrown open for travel in 1992 when the United States and Russia signed the "Open Lands" agreement which allowed free travel throughout both countries. For nearly 75 years whole cities and regions, roads, rail lines, and rivers, had been colored crimson on the maps, hidden from the prying eyes of foreigners by the secretive Soviet government." "Taplin interpreted the Open Lands agreement as an invitation to hit the road, visiting seven cities and regions - from the Arctic to the Caucasus, from Gorky in the west to Kamchatka in the far east - which had been barred to foreigners for decades. Taplin's report of what he found, Open Lands, is an exhilarating, rugged journey into the world of ordinary Russians - the things they have witnessed and suffered, the way they live now. The first comprehensive book on the subject, Open Lands is also rich in historical detail, and makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Russia's lost years under Communist rule."--BOOK JACKET.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [351]-357) and index.

Dark Matter: An Introduction Where the Waters Meet: Velikiy Ustyug City of Skulls: Vorkuta The Song of the North: Arkhangelsk & Solovki The Widowed Mountains: Kabardino-Balkaria

Steppes of the Shaman: Tuva Living on the Volcano: Kamchatka Barbary Coast: Vladivostok The View from the Embankment: Afterword.