Overview

Growing up in Soviet Siberia as the son of devout Christian parents, Andrej Voth was no stranger to the pitfalls of adhering to a spiritual faith in the former communist USSR. Here, he tells the story of his formative years and shares his journey as the young boy (and then man) navigates the contrasting ideologies of Christianity and Socialism. Andrej's journey gives the reader an insight into daily life in USSR from 1964 through 1977. We follow him as he spends a large portion of his childhood targeted by his communist party-adhering schoolteachers, witnessing his father taken into Soviet labour camp, and as the KGB relentlessly oppresses his underground church. This is followed by two years of service in the Soviet Army, and eventually, his family escapes to capitalist Germany and beyond. It is a story of unwavering positivity in the face of adversity and persecution and one that is absolutely recommended to readers who are curious about life behind the iron curtain of the former USSR! Andrej Voth was born in Prokopievsk, Siberia and grew up under socialism. After attending eight years of the Soviet school system, he served in the army. Shortly after being discharged from military service, his family was forced to leave the USSR and settle in Germany. Finding new freedoms, he explored and visited 30 plus countries and lived in four. He desired knowledge and graduated from academic institutions in Germany, Canada, France and Australia. Questions in world religions, anthropology, human rights, theology, and faith became his life passions. To support his global adventures, he worked various positions from caretaker to construction, from semi-truck driver to seminary professor. Now, semiretired, Andrej and his wife Erna call northern Alberta their home. They are parents of two grown-up sons, one daughter-in-law and one sweet grandchild. Love for everything antique fills his free time restoring old trucks, furniture and houses. Skills he is working on presently are fishing and hunting.

Full Product Details

9781777993108

Table of Contents

Reviews

Interesting insight into life in the former USSR in the 60s and '70s. I found some of my old assumptions about life in Russia at that time were actually too generous, the descriptions of day-to-day life were eye-opening. Very readable and also chilling, given the direction of many in the west today. Highly recommended. Peter Andrej Voth did a great job capturing key moments in his life and the development of the Socialist Wonderland . I am sure there is much more he could have mentioned but for now, this is a good introduction. Maybe there will be more books by this author on this subject. Erh I found this book hard to put down! It was so interesting to consider the differences in a young man's life in Russia as compared to following the timeline of my own life in Canada at the same time. In the West, we were served our own brand of propaganda to establish what life in Russia might be like, as were the good people of the USSR or Socialist Wonderland as it is called in the book. I felt very lucky and blessed to have grown up in Canada, and sadness for good meaning Christians that suffered so grievously under Communism in Russia. This book is a warning of how easily freedom could slip away-- even in North America! Brian This book is a well-written and informative memoir of the author's experiences and insights growing up in the USSR in the 1960s and 1970s, including accounts of religious and ethnic persecution, his father's experience in gulag camps, and the author's experiences in jobs and the military. I liked the writing style which was easy to read and often wryly humorous. David

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available