Ingrid Bengis' St Petersburg

Posted by Amanda Kendle Jun 9, 2007

A colleague of mine at Jaunted.com has just written up a great book review on Ingrid Bengis' book Metro Stop Dostoyevsky. Given my oft-professed love for reading up on destinations before, during and after travel, this one is now on my must read list.

It's all set in St Petersburg, the city where Bengis' parents came from, but a city she'd never visited until she decided to spend six months living there: coincidentally, just as the Soviet Union collapsed. The true story follows not only Bengis' experiences in her "hometown" but also those of a Russian friend. At such a tumultuous time in history, it's no wonder that a very readable book has come out of it, and it sounds like it touches on a theme that fascinates me - how people who were born and raised under Soviet Union rule come to terms with the new capitalist ways, and whether they really are better off or not. So put this one on your list if you're planning a trip to Russia. It's on my pile, as soon as I get through the other dozen books ahead of it!