Running With Reindeer

I didn't go to my Korean class today. I'd developed an unpleasant head-cold on Friday, but nonetheless was planning on kicking my ass into gear and getting down to the YMCA by 11am this morning. Then morning arrived, and I was awakened before my alarm by one thunderclap after another, shaking my doors and windows and sending the cat scuttling for cover. So I did exactly what you'd expect me to do: I unplugged all my electronics, then crawled back under the covers. I've been under the covers most of the day, alternating between reading, sleeping and listening to podcasts. Starting to feel better, although now I'm going to be even more behind in my Korean studies.

I finished reading an absolutely fantastic book today, Running With Reindeer: Encounters In Russian Lapland by Roger Took. For starters, this fellow must be completely insane. Who the hell frequently tresspasses into closed military zones in Russia - sometimes for the purpose of viewing the wildlife and wilderness, other times for the purpose of viewing closed military and nuclear facilities? Roger Took, that's who. I’m certainly glad that he did, as it allowed for the creation of the fabulous book that is Running With Reindeer… but seriously, the man’s got to be a tad nutty. I’ve done my share of crazy things in Russia (I may have even done a bit of trespassing on occasion, being my mother’s daughter and all), but did I ever sneak into any closed military zones? No. However, I suppose whether or not Took’s actions have a bearing on his sanity doesn’t really affect the outcome here, which was his creation of a stellar book.

Running With Reindeer chronicles Took’s adventures in the Kola Peninsula, a frigid bit of land in the northwest corner of Russia, over the course of a decade. Since Russia’s such a ginormous country, here are some maps to help you orient yourself:

See the peninsula in the center of the circle? That's Kola.


Kola close-up

I must admit that despite my rather extensive knowledge of Russia, I knew nothing about the Kola Peninsula except that it was where the city of Murmansk was located. All I knew about Murmansk was that during my first Russian winter back in 2000, I had the opportunity to go to Murmansk for the weekend. I passed it up, thinking that I really didn’t want to spend 27 hours on a train to end up somewhere even colder than where I started. After reading this book, I’m wishing I’d gone and at least seen a tiny part of Kola.

Running With Reindeer chronicles Took’s many travels around the Kola peninsula, as he interacts with the remnants of the native Saami (Lapp) and Komi tribes. Took addresses in detail their force relocation during collectivization, and the impact it had on their formerly nomadic lives. He traces the influx and impact of ethnic-Russian settlers in Tsarist and Soviet times – and the effects of their post-Soviet exodus from Kola. He examines the Allied invasion of Russia at the end of WWI (this chapter is actually one of best accounts of this occurrence that I have read; most historians have a tendency to gloss over this for some reason). Took addresses the enormous problem of pollution in the once pristine Kola Peninsula and its impact on the neighboring countries of Finland and Norway. He also spends a significant amount of time discussing the environmental and geopolitical impact of the decay of Russia’s Northern (nuclear) Fleet. Apparently, the Kola Peninsula is full of nuclear products and biproducts just ripe for the taking – which is quite distressing given the current fears over what would happen should nuclear materials fall into the wrong hands.

All in all, this book was fabulous. It provided an excellent glimpse into the lives and histories of the people of the Kola Peninsula, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Russia. My only complaint with the book was that I wish there had been more photographs!

PS – Mom, thanks for the book!
PPS - Linda, I just started Smoke and Mirrors and am thoroughly enjoying it :-)