Publisher Description

In a contested, lawless region between Moldova and Ukraine known as Transnistria, a tightly knit group of "honest criminals" live according to strict codes of ritualized respect and fierce loyalty. In a voice utterly compelling and unforgettable, Nicolai Lilin, born and raised within this exotic subculture, tells the story of his moral education outside the bounds of "society" as we know it, where men uphold values with passion—and often by brute force.

Author Biography

Nicolai Lilin grew up in Transnistria, which declared its independence from Russia in 1990 but has never been recognized as a state. His previous book, Siberian Education, was also a bestseller in Europe and has been made into a movie with John Malkovich. Lilin lives in Milan, where he has founded an art gallery called Kolima Contemporary Culture.

Review

"Lilin may have the birthright of a crook, but he has the eye of an anthropologist, and he trains it on the folkways of an outlaw subculture as ritualized and moralistic as any religion." -- The New Yorker
"This is the Russian gangland recast as medieval Romance. . . . Amid the depravity of its anti-heroes, Siberian Education paints a memorable world of anarchism, devotion, humor and respect." -- Toby Lichtig - Wall Street Journal

Review Text

This is the Russiangangland recast as medieval Romance. . . . Amid the depravity of its anti-heroes, Siberian Education paints a memorable world of anarchism, devotion,humor and respect.

Review Quote

"This is the Russian gangland recast as medieval Romance. . . . Amid the depravity of its anti-heroes, Siberian Education paints a memorable world of anarchism, devotion, humor and respect."

Details