In this month’s Reading Group we will discuss The Railway, by Uzbek journalist and author Hamid Ismailov. The novel was written before Ismailov fled political persecution in Uzbekistan in the 1990s, and his work remains banned in Uzbekistan today.
The Railway explores the dramatic changes that swept Central Asia in the early twentieth century, focussing on the mosaic of ethnic groups who live in the town of Gilas on the ancient Silk Road, and the social, political and religious tensions that emerge between the townspeople and Soviet authorities. The meeting will be facilitated by our bookshop co-curator Sasha Padziarei and engagement curator Alisa Oleva.
Set mainly in Uzbekistan between 1900 and 1980, The Railway introduces to us the inhabitants of the fictitious town of Gilas. Among those whose stories we hear are Mefody-Jurisprudence, the town's alcoholic intellectual; Father Ioann, a Russian priest; Kara-Musayev the Younger, the chief of police; and Umarali-Moneybags, the old moneylender. Their colourful lives offer a unique and comic picture of a little-known land populated by outgoing Mullahs, incoming Bolsheviks, and a plethora of Uzbeks, Russians, Persians, Jews, Koreans, Tatars and Gypsies.
At the heart of both the town and the novel stands the railway station - a source of income and influence, and a connection to the greater world beyond the town. Rich and picaresque, The Railway chronicles the dramatic changes felt throughout Central Asia in the early twentieth century.
2021 saw the opening of Pushkin House’s very own physical bookshop in addition to our online store. While it is still being honed and developed, we are keen to highlight literature that inspires, encourages, moves and validates our readers. We also want to amplify the voices, writers and readers that historically didn’t get and, perhaps, still don’t get the visibility, power and appreciation they deserve. Most of all, we want to create a physical (and an online) place for connection where people can come and share their views.