Russka: The Novel of Russia

Edward Rutherford published Russka in 1991. He is known for writing 1,000+ page historical fiction novels on major world cities and nations that cover 1,000 years of history. Russka is a mere 945 pages so this is a short book for him. I bought this book approximately one year ago but never got around to reading it before. Because my laptop is broken and I cannot access the Kindle app, I had to pick up a physical book. I have been reading the novel in 200 page increments. It is a captivating story and I loved it.

The publisher's summary:  

Here, Edward Rutherfurd turns his remarkable talents to a vast canvas: Russia. Spanning 1,800 years of its history, people, politics, and culture, Rutherford's grand saa is as multifaceted as Russia itself: harsh yet exotic, proud yet fearful of enemeies, steeped in ancient superstitions but always seeking to make its mark on the emerging world. In Russka, Rutherford transforms the epic of a great civilization into a human story of flesh and blood, boldness and action, chronicling the lives of four families who are divided by ethnicity but united in shapin the destiny of their land.

This novel only covers 1,000 years of history, not the advertised 1,800 years. The first chapter takes place on 180 CE. The story then quickly moves 800 years forward to the year 1066 CE and ends in 1992 CE. I loved reading about the characters who lived through these eras but would have liked to see more chapters and characters who lived between 180 and 1066 CE. I am not as knowledgeable about life in Russia during those years and yearn to know more.

It was interesting to learn that the Russian people have a Nordic origin while Kiev has a Slavic origin. With the Mongol invasion covering what is now Russia, the people intermarried and their skin color became darker. Even the Christian denominations they initially followed separated these people with Russia following Latin Christianity and Kiev following Byzantine Christianity. These countries may be geographically close but they have very different genetic and social origins and they have been fighting each other for 2,000 years. The story follows two families who lived during this time period.

The book may be over thirty years old but it is timely. Some of the cities where events take place include Moscow, Russka (there are 2), Novgorod, Kiev, Smolensk, Vilnius, Riga, Polotsk, Yaroslav, Suzdal, Odessa and Nizhni Novgorod. One of the settings is the city of Tver.  If you've seen recent news reports you know that Vladimir Putin's Wagner Company enemy Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last week in Tver.  Kiev is another city that is included in many family stories in the book. It shows Russka invading Kiev and later being kicked out numerous times over and over and over throughout the millenium covered in the book. While Russka was published over 30 years ago, it has been a help to me as I read the news today.

I loved this novel but must admit if you are not a fan of history, you won't like Rutherford's tomes. I have read two others: China and London. Both were fantastic in my opinion.

I am rating Russka 5 out of 5 stars.