125×200 (84×108/32), paperback, 208 pp., 2006
ISBN 5-86793-394-6

Are the four corners of the earth, the four seasons and the four elements as unconnected as it may seem at first glance? At the beginning of the 21st century, do we have to find a new system of coordinates, or has historical experience defined our search for meaning once and for all? Is Russia’s position on the culturological map of the world changing? Sharyi’s point-of-departure for his journey across a score of countries and three continents is Chechnya. From here, he sets out on a quest for answers that takes him to Paris, Istanbul, Madrid, Omsk, Amsterdam, Kiev, Verona and Kaliningrad. His travels encompass such diverse locations as the ancient Orthodox monasteries of Northern Greece, an Egyptian desert, a hippie quarter of Copenhagen, and Slovenian karst caves, to name but a few. The book’s characters include historical figures and renowned writers, great composers and popular rock-musicians, famous scientists and eccentric inventors. Leading the reader on a cultural roller-coaster ride, Sharyi discusses issues of the interrelation and interpenetration of cultures, religion and languages as well as gastronomic, literary, and musical traditions.
This new book by the famous journalist Andrey Sharyi is a series of ironic essays that mix traveller’s prose, historical notes and literary flight-of-fancy.

World rights available