World's End

“Seryoga, how on earth did you get this thing here?”

My question evokes a smile from the driver of the beat-up old Niva. The SUV shakes and skids a bit in the sand as we drive along the central and, truth be told, only road through one of the northernmost settlements on the Yamal Peninsula.

“Yeah, my parents moved us here when I was young... They just wanted to earn enough to buy their own car. Then they changed their mind and stayed.”