Running With Reindeer: Encounters In Russian Lapland

by Roger Took

Russian Lapland, a region of amazing contrasts. Here lies the last true wilderness of Europe, a rich and pristine ecosystem teeming with bird and animal life. But here too lie the dark, satanic mills of the former Soviet Union and the rotting remnants of nuclear submarines. Running with Reindeer is the first account in over a century to describe life in this harsh but beautiful land. Living among remote reindeer-herding and hunting families, Roger Took spends a decade following the lives and traditions of the indigenous Lapps, or Saami. He meets pioneering villagers descended from medieval Novgorod fur-traders who are now learning to cope with the new economy, and the men and women originally forced north to mine Russian Lapland's fabulous mineral wealth but are now unemployed and stranded. Avoiding the still vigilant security services, he explores the naval bases where nuclear-powered submarines are lying dangerously neglected. His encounters with the land and its inhabitants are dramatic and comical as well as emotionally disturbing and physically dangerous. Moving between the lines of the official histories, coping with arduous Arctic conditions, he writes compellingly, offering a vivid account of a unique part of Europe.

Genres: Travel, Adventure, History

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roger Took must be completely insane. Who the hell frequently tresspasses into closed military zones in Russia - sometimes for the purpose of viewing the wildlife and wilderness, other times for the purpose of viewing closed military and nuclear facilities? Roger Took, that's who. I’m certainly glad that he did, as it allowed for the creation of the fabulous book that is Running With Reindeer… but seriously, the man’s got to be a tad nutty. I’ve done my share of crazy things in Russia (I may have even done a bit of trespassing on occasion, being my mother’s daughter and all), but did I ever sneak into any closed military zones? No. However, I suppose whether or not Took’s actions have a bearing on his sanity doesn’t really affect the outcome here, which was his creation of a stellar book.

I must admit that despite my rather extensive knowledge of Russia, I knew nothing about the Kola Peninsula except that it was where the city of Murmansk was located. All I knew about Murmansk was that during my first Russian winter back in 2000, I had the opportunity to go to Murmansk for the weekend. I passed it up, thinking that I really didn’t want to spend 27 hours on a train to end up somewhere even colder than where I started. After reading this book, I’m wishing I’d gone and at least seen a tiny part of Kola.

Running With Reindeer chronicles Took’s many travels around the Kola peninsula, as he interacts with the remnants of the native Saami (Lapp) and Komi tribes. Took addresses in detail their force relocation during collectivization, and the impact it had on their formerly nomadic lives. He traces the influx and impact of ethnic-Russian settlers in Tsarist and Soviet times – and the effects of their post-Soviet exodus from Kola. He examines the Allied invasion of Russia at the end of WWI (this chapter is actually one of best accounts of this occurrence that I have read; most historians have a tendency to gloss over this for some reason). Took addresses the enormous problem of pollution in the once pristine Kola Peninsula and its impact on the neighboring countries of Finland and Norway. He also spends a significant amount of time discussing the environmental and geopolitical impact of the decay of Russia’s Northern (nuclear) Fleet. Apparently, the Kola Peninsula is full of nuclear products and biproducts just ripe for the taking – which is quite distressing given the current fears over what would happen should nuclear materials fall into the wrong hands.

All in all, this book was fabulous. It provided an excellent glimpse into the lives and histories of the people of the Kola Peninsula, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Russia. My only complaint with the book was that I wish there had been more photographs!

[Andy E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice review Jane. When I began the book my thoughts mirrored your first sentence exactly: “Roger Took must be completely insane”. I came across the book in fishing camp while fishing for salmon on the Kharlovka River in 2005 (about 100 miles east of Murmansk). I also made a trip there in 2003, but that was before the book was published. Yes, I did make that train ride from St. Petersburg….but it was summer so it was very pleasant. It’s one thing to read about the incredible isolation, the amazing wilderness, and the suspicion and wariness of the natives…..but to see it firsthand, and then imagine taking a crash course in Russian, giving up a nice position in London, separating from a long term marriage ( never mentioning a motivation) …..then going off into this wilderness with NO contacts, NO friends, and NO plan? Yes it’s a lovely book, but I had the same recurring thought the entire time I was reading: WHY would anyone DO this? Finally I couldn’t concentrate on the words any more….so I googled Roger Took. There was the explanation…..he wasn’t running towards the Kola, the wilderness, the people, he was running away. I will leave it to you to do your own search, but in the answer I found I could not continue with the book.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long haul! Interesting but not enough reindeer more alcohol and nuclear submarines and nickel factories.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very few reindeer. Would ultimately benefit from a better title, but I case that case is closed. Don't pay money for this book.
If you have it already, as I did, know what you're moving in to.
A well written ramble about travels. A lot of fishing. Awkward reflections on interactions with children and young people. As the book progresses Took increasingly comes across as a pompous arrogant Englishman who tells Indigenous people about their heritage. My rating is not changed by the fact the author was a convicted child sex offender.

I'd had this book for some time before I started reading. I'd read some way before I read about the author.
It held ... such promise.
I deliberated my values, and ultimately continued reading. It's a book. It's not a person. Would reading provide closure? Was it a good book? By now, Took had completed suicide.
Maybe I was curious about my ability to withhold judgement. As I read I still pondered this.
I dearly wanted to read about living with reindeer with all the romance of Cod by Mark Kurlansky.

I liked it. It was okay. Independent of the author's convictions, it's still a well written journal of travels through Murmansk Oblast and wider Sápmi.
As the book moved on I wondered if we'd ever come back to some of those reindeer it promised.
To write up your travel journals in a way that can be shared with others is challenging work, so a solid two stars for that. (As Patricia from Book Club would say, "He wrote a book and that deserves stars".)
But it still missed something, something about reindeer.

The final chapter is .. confronting. Took essentially rents a room and spoils local children with sweets and soft drinks to come and spend time with him. He admits that he entertained the children and spoke freely; and while he knew the parents by sight he would only greet them occasionally if passed on the street. In one case he asks a young woman for a piece of her hair, which he says is to make a fishing fly. (Some later articles allege RT held a collection of hair clippings from children..)
Difficult to read. I've deliberated what to do with the book now. A street library with a note pencilled in the margins? Is this the first book I destroy in the bin? Am I the censor?.

[Susan Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

An especially interesting book about an area, the far eastern part of Lappland, the Russian part. The author seems at first to be seeking information about the Sami peoples and he does provide historyand information about them. He also presents history and environmental issues about the extensive mining thathas occurred in the area, as well as history about the Russian nuclear submarines and Navy based on the northern shores. It does present a look at an area of the world that I knew very little about, however while reading, I sought further information about the author only to find he he was a child molester, served time in prison and subsequently committed suicide. It makes you wonder if he was trying to escape himself by going to the ends of the world.

[Jason Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about this book. This author whose only published book covered, like a heavy snow in the northern hemisphere, many areas in range from a pristine ecosystem, aborigines in that area, war, collectivism, and damages to the environment. There were many things to be read in between the lines, especially taking into consideration the author’s life. Though this book may not be for everyone, those who are interested in history, good or bad, may find this book fascinating even if it’s morbidly so.

[Kenneth Harnden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decently written book that gives good insights into what life in the region is like.
7/10

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a strange book. The author says within that he wrote the book because he wanted to get to know the Saami and their way of life and experience one of the last true wildernesses on earth, but that was so seldom where the focus of the book was. At some points, the book seemed reminiscent of adventurers in the Arctic, like Kennan, but adventure didn’t seem his main goal either. About half way through the book it struck me that perhaps the book was nothing more than an elaborate excuse for an extended fishing expedition. Perhaps that got part way to the truth, but still I could never quite understand the overwhelming sense of loneliness or off-centered ness I felt in his story. And the unsettlingly odd overtly- and covertly-sexual stories that peppered the book made me squirm. Curious, I read Took’s Wikipedia page. Took’s real-life story confirmed the extreme discomfort I felt that something was very off while reading scenes in the book, like one in which he asks a young Russian girl for a lock of her hair or another where he describes a gang rape in a hostel. Yay for fully-functioning spidey senses, I guess.

Ickiness aside, having spent time as a foreigner in Russia in the 90’s, the Russia he reported on felt very familiar. The lawlessness, the mix of distrust of and desire for all things foreign, the desperation of the older generations and the hope of young people living through rapid change were all authentic. And the history Took weaves in about Saami history and Russian military history from the time of the Revolution through the 90’s was fascinating and informative. I’d known nothing of American troops in the Murmansk region during the revolution, although I knew a fair amount of Russian history. I’d also not fully understood the extent of the uranium/nuclear waste crisis in the arctic, although I’d understood at a high level that Russia had a problem.

Unfortunately, none of these positive points makes up for the dread I feel now when I see the book. I’m certain there are other options on the subject one could read instead. I may need to find one as a palette cleanser.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's too bad that this guy's a convicted pedophile because it's actually a pretty decent book. It gets off topic from the Saami quite a bit, seemingly trying to at least stay focused on the region and issues that have had an effect on the cultures there. I guess I'd recommend it if your library or a friend has it or something, not if you have to buy it though.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

strangely, the author has almost no encounters with reindeer in this book. But, if you like armchair travels to miserable yet beautiful places and decrepit cold war-era Soviet submarines, this book is for you.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more on the Saami, but this is mostly about fishing and dodging Soviet authorities, and Russian/Soviet history. Reasonably written, and if I was more of a sport-person I might have found it more engaging.

[Krystalline Kraus · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little on the new age side. Sometimes it just block quotes without good explanation. Other than that, it has some good facts that are interesting.