Between Heaven and Hell: The Myth of Siberia in Russian Culture

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Siberia has no history of independent political existence, no claim to a separate ethnic identity and no clear borders. Yet it could be said that the elusive country behind the Urals is the most real and the most durable part of the Russian landscape. For centuries, Siberia has been represented as Russia’s alter ego, as the heavenly or infernal antithesis to the perceived complexity of shallowness of Russian life. It has been both the frightening heart of darkness and a fabulous land of plenty, the House of the Dead and the realm of utter freedom, a frozen wasteland and a colourful frontier, a dumping ground for Russia’s rejects and the last refuge of its lost innocence. This book examines the origin, nature and implications of various images from historical, geographical, anthropological and linguistic perspectives.