Der Schneeleopard

I had to select a book from the most famous Kyrgyz, Tschingis Aitmatov, when I hike through Kyrgyzstan – or better through the Tien-Shan mountains which are always the background of his novels. He usually weaves the legends he heard as a child with the topic of his novels, very often themes about ecological sustainability. “When we travel to the Mountains” (this book) is no exception. The legendary snowleopard dies in the same cave as the main character: Arsen. The life of both is told in parallel until this deadly encounter. Arsen is an independent journalist who became famous in the Gorbatshov era. But in the nineties those dreams of freedom and justice turned out to be only for a few with enough money. Only the ruthless became rich during that transition phase. Most people have the freedom to be poor and to shut up. Arsen has to learn that lesson on the hardy way as well, Free journalism is not what those rich oligarchs really appreciate. – That is the backdrop of dramatic scenes, which culminate during a hunt in the Tien-Shan mountains.
Aitmatov was the first author in the Soviet Union who took advantage of teh freedom of speech under Gorbatchov. He wrote books like “The Scaffold” and “The Day Lasts More than a Hunderd Years” which dealt with ecological disasters in the Soviet Union, or with drug trafficking. The latter an absolute taboo during those times. Besides the hot topics at the time, the novels are very poetic and timeless.