The Icelandic Sagas relate of a land far to the east named Bjarmaland, where the sun rises, the end of the Viking World. When writer Valur Gunnarsson poured over maps in his youth, this was subsumed in the vast Soviet Union. But then Reagan met Gorbachev in Reykjavik and soon the USSR was no more. The area was once more open to exploration. In the late 90s Valur finally crossed the landmine-lined border to the mysterious east, during the robber-baron Yeltsin era when everything was permissible and up for grabs. This was to be the first trip of many to the former Soviet Union.

Bjarmalands – From the Sagas to the Post-Soviet in Russia, Ukraine and Surroundings: A Travelogue is an account of these travels, seen from the perspective of being stuck in Kiev for six months in times of war, Chernobyl fires and covid. We meet an assorted cast of characters, from elderly Russian scholars to Americans with hair-implants, and locals including up-and-coming Estonians, conspiracy theorist-minded Belarusian bartenders, late Soviet era gangsters and a Ukrainian girl with dreadlocks who desperately wants to join the army.
There are also overviews of the history, cultures and cuisine of the various post-Soviet countries. And vodka. Plenty of vodka.

“Incredibly well done, full of insight and well presented … a lot of fun!”
KILJAN, NATIONAL TV