Re-Writing Russia With ... Sara Wheeler

Having explored Russia in the footsteps of its ‘golden age’ writers for her new book, the author talks Trans-Sib glories, Putin propaganda and George Best’s wandering eyes…

You first travelled to Russia when you were eleven – at the height of the Cold War… We were a working-class family and never went anywhere, but my mother was fascinated by Russia and it was one of the first package tours. Of course, it was completely under the thumb of the state – you could only stay in approved hotels. There would be an enormous woman at the end of every corridor, watching you go in and out. Then, one day we went down to breakfast and all these figures walked in and we recognised them as the Northern Ireland football team – and there was George Best! It was like the gods had come among us. But they didn’t have any people to talk to, so they came to our table. The manager asked if we wanted some tickets to the game that night, so we went along and it was completely snowing. The next day in the paper [back home], there was a picture of my mother and me with George Best – looking at my mother’s tits!

Do you think that travelling so young set you on a path?

I think so. We were very workingclass people and that was an anomalous episode. It certainly inspired an enthusiasm towards Russia. I always felt like I was looking over my shoulder at it.