"In a world a few decades from now, Russia has lost its influence and descended into a farcical civil war. With an extreme right wing cult in power, racial tensions have divided the country into the Varangians those who consider themselves to be the original Aryan settlers of Russia and the Khazars, the liberals and Jews driven out of Moscow by recent events. Morale has reached an all time low as the brutality and pointlessness of the situation is becoming more and more apparent: what is left of the fighting now revolves around capturing and recapturing Degunino, a seemingly magical village with an abundance of pies, vodka and accommodating womenfolk. But there is also a third people timid, itinerant and on the brink of extinction who lay claim to Degunino and Russia as their homeland."--P. [4] of cover.