The Real Siberia

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
In today’s excerpt, Fraser meets some Russian officials:
On all sides I heard grumblings about the corruption of officials. There must be honest officials, but commercial [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
In today’s excerpt, Fraser visits a cathedral in Irkutsk:
You find paradox in Irkutsk as elsewhere.
Being the wildest, the most wicked city in East Siberia, it [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
In today’s excerpt, Fraser recounts his arrival in Irkutsk, the Paris of Siberia:
That the greatest city of Siberia was at hand was shown in the [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
In today’s excerpt, Fraser realizes that he is being spied on:
It was at Taiga I became conscious of the fact I was being watched. I [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
In today’s excerpt, Fraser shares his impressions of the Kyrgyz people:
In the afternoon I drove out to the plain beyond Omsk and visited a Khirgiz [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.In today’s excerpt, Fraser takes a Droshki ride through Omsk, and meets his first Russian policeman:
The droshki I was in was a real droshki. The [...]

In 1901, British Journalist John Foster Fraser travelled from Moscow to Vladivostok, and back again, mostly by rail. On his return, he recorded his experiences (and prejudices) in “The Real Siberia”.
Over the next few weeks, Siberian Light will be publishing a series of excerpts this fascinating book.
Today, Fraser departs from Moscow:
THE bell [...]