In the early 1970s, a seventeen-year-old Indian boy left his village in South India to study medicine in the USSR. He had never travelled outside his village on his own before and knew nothing of Soviet culture or one word of the Russian language.
Hari learned fluent Russian, studied medicine, and qualified as a doctor while in Moscow from 1971-1980. He later returned to India, married and had children, and then made another radical move – this time to the UK – where he lives to this day with his family.
Thirty-five years later, he went back to Moscow briefly for a reunion of his medical school batch. Moscow was a completely different city, as it had become the capital of a capitalist country.
Winston Churchill defined Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” It has always been a place intriguing academics, readers and visitors alike. Upon reuniting with old friends and recounting their experiences, they kept returning to the same underlying question; “Was life better for the common man under Communism or in today’s capitalist Russia?” It is by no means a simple question, but is one that Hari Kumar was inspired to unpick within his insightful new book, ‘A Different Degree’.
The book is mainly about his own unique experiences as a medical student in the USSR – like experimenting with vodka, surviving the bitter winter and falling in love with Russian culture.
Although the book is about the life of a medical student behind the iron curtain, it is written with clarity and simplicity for everyone to understand and enjoy.
Hari describes the fun of living in an international community of students and narrates his interesting trips to cities within the USSR and to London and Paris. While feeling homesick, he remembers his joyous childhood and exciting times in boarding schools back in India.
Hari recounts cherished observations of the lives and habits of the Soviet people, their joys, frustrations and hopes. They lived good lives without having to worry about food and shelter or even crime, despite the controls and queues. Soviet citizens, remarkably, kept their humour and this book is sprinkled with moments of merriment and characteristically understated Russian jokes. Hari introduces readers to the richness of Russian song and poetry with some sublime English translations. “There is something about Moscow that tends to attract you back like a magnet. It must be the warmth and genuineness of the people,” reflects Hari.
‘A Different Degree’ is a thoughtful and compelling read. It has received stellar endorsements from high-profile figures. Media personality and campaigner Joanna Lumley OBE who also visited the USSR at a similar time could relate to the “warmth and friendliness” Hari experienced and called the book “fascinating”.
Dr Shashi Tharoor, the Indian writer and politician described the book as “Intriguing”. Former BBC Moscow Correspondent Bridget Kendal MBE deemed the book “A vivid and very personal memoir.” Indian media personality and journalist Sashi Kumar described the book as “keeping you on edge with its quaint encounters, engaging depictions and memorable anecdotes.” These reviews demonstrate the compelling nature of Hari’s stories.
A Different Degree offers a unique perspective of life as an international student in 1970s Soviet Moscow. It is made all the more vibrant by the loving, sincere and honest people he met and the permanent impressions they made on his life.
A Different Degree by Dr. Hari Kumar is published by Notion Press and available to purchase from Amazon.
