This novel explores the general apathy amongst most Russian people for their fellow citizens. The problem is that eighty years of communism, which was effectively a totalitarianism reign of terror, left people not knowing who, if anyone to trust. While Russian people in general are not uncaring in their immediate circle of family and friends, it never goes beyond this. During the years of the great terror, they could not afford it to. The main street of Novosibirsk in Winter,