Comment about River Valley to Silicon Valley by Svetlana Gorshkova

I want to offer my deep gratitude and appreciation of your book. It is really great to dive so deep into another country, another culture and way of life, it definitely brings us closer to each other. Also the style of the writing fully allowed me to indentify myself with you during different periods of your life. Sometimes I was so touched to tears by words about your family, grandma and important points in your life.
-Svetlana Gorshkova, Music Connoseir, St. Petersburg

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Stanislav Savitski

Dear Abhay,I’m about to finish reading your book. Possibly I’m its perfect reader because unfortunately my knowledge about India is far from being below average. It is really interesting to read your story first of all as a sort of introduction to other culture. Meanwhile, I feel myself not an “ordinary” foreigner completely alien to life described in your text. This is the education novel I remember from the Russian-Soviet tradition where the Enlightenment ideals and dreams remained the very essential and productive values for many decades. Surprisingly (or may be not surprisingly) one can find in your book the plot from the Realistic prose of 1930s-80s. I’m not sure that I like this tradition as such but no doubts it attracts me a great deal today when the boundary between the Socialist past and the contemporary life is evident. I’m really interested to find out how the story of education and career of the “simple man” might be told now and moreover how it may be expressed in the manner unusual from my point of view.
Best,Stanislav Savitski, Critic, St. Petersburg

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Srinivas Reddy

I just finished reading your book "River Valley to Silicon Valley" and left with the feeling that I have known you for a very long time.

It was a pleasure reading the book due to the simplicity of the language used and the clear message delivered.

I share a similar childhood financial circumstances and hence I had spent a long time while reading the book going back to my childhood days and remembering the sacrifices that my parents had to make in helping me get educated. I thank you for this journey back.

It is very inspiring for many Indians with a rural background and would help them to achieve the transformation.

The title 'River Valley to Silicon Valley' carries the whole book in one phrase.

-Srinivas Reddy, St.Petersburg, Russia

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Andrey Khlobystin, art expert and artist

For the majority of Russians knowledge about modern Indian culture in whole and Indian literature, in particular, is limited to the already “ancient” Rabindranath Tagore, spiritual gurus of different caliber, Ravi Shankar and Indian cinema with its music. Although one can witness a new tide of interest in India among Russian creative youth, there is no real contact with modern Indian culture and its representatives. “V put Ot Rechnoi Dolini (River Valley to Silicon Valley)”, the book by Abhay Kumar, the writer, poet and diplomat, could be interesting for those “pilgrims to Oriental countries” who are not really satisfied with their knowledge about today’s life of this great country.

Russian reader meets here an unknown world and exotic words, but the book turns out to be understandable and easy-to-read, since a reader comes across a genre familiar to us from Russian literature which could be defined as ‘childhood – adolescence – youth, genre. This particular genre elaborated in our literature by such luminaries as Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Aksakov, Gorky and others, is related to Indian understanding of human’s journey in the world as spiritual growth, the one which brings together Hesychasm* with yoga and Vedic tradition. From the first sight one could define destiny of the main character of this autobiographic book with American formulae of a “self-made man”. That is, having applied enormous efforts in his studies, a boy form poor peasant’s family reaches top success in his life and career .However, this American term would be absolutely incorrect. Starting from his grandfather the wrestler (yogi, ascetic?), the whole family, and generation by generation is trying to educate the children and develop their spirituality. The family makes it the essence of its existence.
Author avoids mentioning any caste themes, but in Indian tradition it could be called as a “Brahmin’s journey”. Through the whole book one can feel a mighty force of family traditions behind the author and his elder brother (it is for this reason the book has the subtitle: Story of three generations of Indian family”).
Abhay Kumar just slightly touches upon his yoga classes and his visits to temples, but in the very “body” of the book one could feel author’s constant analysis and control over his psycho/physical conditions. In the beginning the book makes slightly sentimental and poetic statement, but later you find yourself involved into a book of almost adventurous genre in traditions of the “Golden Donkey”, “Simplicissimus” and “Golden Calf”. Passing through harsh methods of upbringing (only one fact that small children used to be woken up at 4 a.m. for a morning prayer is worth mentioning!), highly confusing bureaucratic educational system with endless tests and exams – all look like adventures of heroes in a suspense novel.(Wheel of Fortune, again, a symbol familiar to Indians).
Publishing this book in Russian is a breakthrough in our knowledge about modern Indian literature, its everyday life and world-view of Indian youth.

* In Eastern Christianity, type of monastic life in which practitioners seek divine quietness by the contemplation of God in uninterrupted prayer; Quietism.

Review by Andrey Khlobystin, Art expert and Artist, St. Petersburg, Russia

River Valley to Silicon Valley- A Review Letter from Oksana Mirovaya

I think, every person could write the story about himself. Every one of us meets and overcomes difficulties in life, achieving our aims. And we try to do our best. Not everyone writes it down, to share with others though. It’s ok that you did.

I think, the story of your life is worth to be published. You have made a lot of efforts to cross this long way from the boy of the small Indian village in the river valley to who you are now…This story can be the leadership or sample for today`s youth. For russian youth especially, who is in a deep moral crisis now. Russia is becoming capitalistic country. Old socialistic ideals are broken and dirted; new ideals are not created yet. This young generation grows weak-willed, incapable to achieve their goals; they even cannot imagine what these goals should be like. They just live, without putting any goals in front. First of all, crisis of the country reflects on the young generation. I would like that modern Russian young people read your book; it would be useful…although they prefer different books now.

I really enjoyed the style of your writing, simple and innocent. Faith in nobleness and big heart of other people, respect and love to your parents and elder ones, sincere desire to become worth of their hopes, the art to be thankful and value others, good feeling of friendship and humor, always the attitude to climb the higher level, all that makes your book a good manual for young people. And it is sincerely written so easy to read.

Oksana Mirovaya- A Spritual Activist, St. Petersburg, Russia

(Disclaimer- The views expressed above are of the reviewer Oksana Mirovaya)

Release of the Russian version of the "River Valley to Silicon Valley"

The Russian translation of the book "River Valley to Silicon Valley" was released on 24th April in St. Petersburg at the St. Petersburg Association for International Cooperation. The book was first translated by Ms. Svetlana Shakhovnina and later it was again translated and edited by Ast.Prof. Sergey Pakhamov, Philosophy Department of the St. Petersburg State University. Book Details-

ISBN 978-5-98012-044-3

Svytoslav Publishers

Pages-104

Bookblog- www.vputotrechnoidolini.blogspot.com

The book release ceremony was attended by Indologists, diplomats of different countries, journalists, students, artists etc. They expressed their happiness about such an initiative taken by me and they felt that the Russian translation of the River Valley to Silicon Valley will bring the two great civilizations of 'Ganga & Volga' closer.

Natalia Eleseeva, the President of the St. Petersburg Association of International Cooperation wished that I could continue to write in future -about my impressions of Russia, Diplomatic Service, Moscow or about the Russian people.

The ceremony was marked by warm and friendly atmosphere. The guests mingled with each other over champagne and choclates while I signed my books for them. Later a Russian musical group performed Indian songs and classical dance for the guests.

River Valley to Silicon Valley:Book Review by Semira, A Russian Writer

The story "River Valley to Silicon Valley" by Abhay K. reflects well the process of transformations in India in the present moment, its technological progress attracting young people in India. But it's interesting that foreign people who fall in love with India, appreciate more its traditional moments: still well preserved ecology, kindness of people, priority of heart over intention (gain), and of course spirituality of its ancient culture, apparent even in common life. For those people the river valley and small towns will be closer than Silicon valley or Bangalore. Being Russian, what I like the best in the story is the description of his childhood and his sincere poems.

I am glad to see in India women in saree, new blocks of 4-story buildings (not sky-scrapers) in Delhi. I like the human size of Indian towns, close to nature, and I try to evade megalopolises with traffic congestion. I would like India to keep its traditional character and mode of life and to change minimum - only the necessary things, in spite of western influence and technological progress.

- Semira, Russian writer, member of the Union of writers of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region.