Folklore, social life and customs of ethnic Germans who returned to former settlements near the Lower Volga River in Russia following the Second World War.

This collection of Chekhov's finest early writing reveals a young writer mastering the art of the short story. 'The Steppe', which established his reputation, is the unforgettable tale of a boy's journey to a new school in Kiev, travelling through majestic landscapes towards an unknown destiny. 'Gusev' depicts an ocean voyage, where the sea takes on a terrifying, primeval power; 'The Kiss' portrays a shy soldier's failed romantic encounter; and in 'The Duel' two men's enmity ends in farce. Haunting and highly atmospheric, all the stories in this volume show a writer emerging from the shadow of his masters - Tolstoy, Turgenev and Gogol - and discovering his own voice. They also illustrate Chekhov's genius for evoking the natural world and exploring inner lives.

The evangelical Mongolian church has experienced significant growth since the country opened to the world in 1990. Despite the growth and emergence of the evangelical church in Mongolia, relatively little has been written on the church from the perspective of the leaders themselves. This ethnographic study seeks to express the experience of male, evangelical, Mongolian church leaders in their own words. The book focuses specifically on the leaders' experiences of conversion, discipleship, navigation of Mongolian culture and traditions, and theological education. Readers will hear from evangelical church leaders why they became Christians and what their experience with discipleship was like for them. The issue of contextualization for evangelical Christians is also a central focus. In particular, the translation of the term for God in Mongolian and the perspective of the church leaders are explored. This book will be of interest to those exploring Christianity in Asia and post-socialist contexts as well as seeking to better understand contemporary Mongolian culture.

Synopsis by Vladimir Beregovoy Notes of an East Siberian Hunter by A. A. Cherkassov is among the oldest bestsellers in Russia, in print since 1865. This book has often been called an encyclopedia of hunting in nineteenth century East Siberia. It has been cherished and read and reread by generations of hunters and naturalists. It was my dream to share its content with the world outside Russia. I met Steve Bodio*, who is also a naturalist and a professional writer with experience in hunting and Russian literature and history. Working together, we completed its first translation into English. The book is narrated in a lively, colloquial Siberian folk dialect; we tried to preserve it as much as possible. Its content includes meticulous descriptions of hunting methods, wildlife, ways of life, customs and even superstitions common among Russian frontiersmen and the native people of East Siberia in the nineteenth Century. It will be a good reference for historians, biologists, geographers, ethnographers, hunters, linguists and serious environmentalists. V. B *Stephen Bodio, author of Eagle Dreams, On the Edge of the Wild, and Querencia among other titles-- see Amazon.com for reviews.

"A storm was brewing over the Steppe. The skies had been clear just hours before, but they were now filled with gray clouds. A few droplets pelted the ground as Sara rode to her destination. Thunder cracked in the distance and wind howled through the Steppe like the roar of a forgotten god." As a second invasion by the Empire threatens the nomads of the Great Steppe, a new generation of leaders must mend the broken alliances of their fathers or face certain destruction. Vacant Steppes is a Mongolia-inspired epic fantasy novel about inheritance, family, and leadership in times of division and war.