Summary:  

Want to go on a mountainous adventure back in time? This may be the perfect book for you! In the Mountains of Karachay-Cherkessia is a photo book with detailed information about the former Karachay-Cherkessia Autonomous Oblast within the Soviet Union, today a republic within the Russian Federation. Published in 1968, it provides basic information about the region, including its geography, economics, history, and population. However, the bulk of this book is a story about the environment of the oblast.  A telling point of this is how the book claims, “the greatest wealth of the region is the environment”. Aided by numerous photos in both black and white and extraordinary details in the text, the reader is taken along a picturesque journey through a beautiful environment now frozen in time. 

Why I’m interested in this book:  

One of the dreams I’ve always had when learning Russian was to eventually be able to read any book I pick up, and not just easier texts such as children’s books or short excerpts given on tests. Although I’m still a long way away from understanding Dostoevsky, this book I happened upon in Hagerty gave me a special moment where I started to understand more complex topics in Russian. Reading it gave me a feeling of joy I won’t forget. 

The reason I was able to find this book in Hagerty was because it was previously a part of the late Dr. Charles Gribble’s collection. Though I didn’t know much about him at first, I came to learn that he was someone whose passion and dedication to the field of Slavic studies was profound. Alongside his numerous works published and work that grew Slavica Publishers, he was best known for the compassion and kindness he showed his peers, colleagues, and students. Even after his passing, he has left an impact that continues to this day. His collection of books is why students like me can learn more about Eastern Europe and the countries within it without any cost.  

Language learning aside, this book is interesting in its use of wording. Rather than giving a description from afar, the book uses inviting language such as “Let us imagine...”, “our route…”, and “we need to reach…” It invites the reader to take a journey through the mountains with the narrator, with descriptive language to accompany the photos within the book. It truly brings to life a journey through the mountains, one you can feel and participate in. This book also freezes a moment in time from 1968, giving the reader the opportunity to see a region as it was nearly 60 years ago. Though much has changed with the economics and population, the book produces a feeling of timelessness with the environmental beauty of Karachay-Cherkessia. It’s a unique insight into was the region once was, and possibly what it still is.  

Now, “Let us imagine that we are traveling through the picturesque gorges of the Karachay Mountains” …