After two-and-a-half years as NPR's Moscow bureau chief, David Greene journeys thousands of kilometres by rail from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok to find out how Russians' lives have changed in the post-Soviet years. He meets a group of singing babushkas from Buranovo, a teenager hawking 'space rocks' from a meteor shower in Chelyabinsk, and activists battling for environmental regulation in the pollution-choked town of Baikalsk. Through their stories and those of other travellers along the line, Greene explores the challenges facing the new Russia - a superpower that boasts of open elections and newfound prosperity, yet continues to endure oppression, corruption and stark inequality. Set against the wintry landscape of Siberia, this enthralling travel narrative offers a window on the real Russia, revealing what its people believe about their history and their future.

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