The specialized publishing house “in true stories driven by literary demands” publishes a new work by another journalist in an exotic location, that of Marine Dumeurger in Kalmoulkia.
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It is the name of a Russian Republic, whose capital (Elista) is located 1,300 kilometers from Moscow. This lost region of the steppes where the Caspian breeze blows, the author had discovered it via its former president perched well, like “Raël” or “Saucer and parrot”: Kirsan Ilioumjinov. This millionaire claimed to have been abducted by aliens. He wanted to make the area the chess capital of the world.
The report fell through. But many years later, Marine Dumeurger took advantage of an article in the region to meet saiga antelopes and another fanciful character: Serge.
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Back to the roots
Born and raised in Brussels, the latter is a Frenchman descended from White Russians (those who fled Russia after the Bolshevik revolution). Serge’s life, an engineer, was turned upside down by a Facebook message received in 2018 from Kalmyks who were looking for him. His great-grandfather, Danzan Toundoutov, was, in fact, a military leader and a highly respected prince. Serge will return to live on the land of his ancestors where, in his words, he is now “adulated”.
Beyond the anecdote, the story of Serge, not necessarily the most thrilling character, could have been contained in a long-term paper for Wilfried, XXI or the Transfer of podcast Slate.
This story is ultimately just a pretext to tell, more broadly, the story of the White Russians (we learn in particular that there are still summer camps for their descendants), to explain to novices the diversity of this fascinating country (the Buddhist religion, the landscapes, the food…) and above all to tell the daily life of the locals under Putin, during Covid and since the start of the war in Ukraine.
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A Russia where foreign bank cards are unusable, where you have to download a VPN to surf foreign sites and where some have lost their jobs due to the conflict. In other respects, life seems “normal”, Russians still go with their families to swim in the Black Sea despite the conflict. On the other hand, Russians’ curiosity about foreign countries is fading, although they all know Marine Le Pen, described as “our dear friend” by a local. Useful reminder before the legislative elections.
Despite a few superfluous chapters, Marine Dumeurger’s book is generally fascinating. The independent journalist manages to sign a book “gonzo” without falling into the trap of egocentrism. It’s rare enough to be stressed.
⇒ “The Prince of Kalmykia” | Story | Marine Dumeurger | Marchialy, 250 pp., €21.10
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