Here is a sample of photos found in Bridge to Borovichi.

Baba Gala From Page 8 -
“Afloat on a Russian River”

Her name was Galena but they called her Baba Gala. Baba is short for babushka (grandmother in Russian). I met her by happenstance, stopping at the tiny village she lived in by the Msta River in 1990. She told us of surviving the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War, when she and others were forced to eat cats.

A Sister City Son From Page 30

During early visits to Borovichi, I frequently took “I Love NY” buttons with me. They proved surprisingly popular, especially among school kids, including my friend Viktor Ivanov’s young son.

Out of Storage From Page 39-
“Savoring Freedom of the Press”

On a visit to the parents of a good Russian friend, I encountered this icon of John the Baptist on their living room wall. My host’s father had retrieved it from the rubble of a local church destroyed during Stalin’s repression. Hidden for decades – one eye stabbed with a sharp point – it finally emerged with the coming of religious freedom to Russia.

Svetlana Gorbachova and Daughter Dunya From Page 196 - “Jackdaw Encounters”

Educated and articulate, Sveta embodies the struggle so many like her face in Russia. An art teacher, she makes less than $50 a month. I photographed her in her yard, wearing a sweater she had made, with her clothesline and garden behind her. Sveta’s house doesn’t have running water.

Snow Scarecrow From Page 103-
 “Nina’s Bond”

Having photographed Ivan Gorbachov’s “self portrait” scarecrow on previous warm weather visits to his village, I was eager to capture it covered with white in the winter. Ivan swears the scarecrow resembles him closely enough that folks passing his house have attempted to engage it in conversation.

Kresti Winterscape From Page 76 - “The Road to Borovichi”

 Driving from St. Petersburg to Borovichi on a day in late March, I was stunned when we sped past the newly restored Kresti Cathedral. “Stop the car!” I implored. I got out, walked through snow by the side of the road, and used old Russian fences to frame one of my favorite photos.

Fish Soup -From Inside Back Cover

This bowl held the first Russian meal I laid eyes on. It greeted me after an all night drive from Moscow to Borovichi in 1990. During 15 years of subsequent visits, I would enjoy fish soup dozens of times – sometimes well-presented like this, other times from a blackened pot simmering over a campfire right next to a lake.