This is a personal, cultural journey down one of the greatest waterways in the world. The Volga rises north-west of Moscow and flows north, east and south through the heart of Russia, ending in the Caspian Sea. From source to mouth, it is 2290 miles long and is the 15th largest river in the world. Chamberlain's journey brings to life a picture of a people in violent transition determined to preserve their cultural and architectural heritage, and a river bearing the full complexity of Russia's medieval and modern history. Her search for the cultural identity of the Volga led her back to half-forgotten novels, pictures, films and songs, and she rekindles memories for the literature of Alexei Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky. This is a work of travel literature and social and cultural history for both the layman and the scholar.