Siberia, one of the world’s last frontiers, has spawned tall tales and stories of human courage and triumph. From the far north to the distant east, Siberia yields immeasurable treasures quite distinct from its usual description as a vast, bitterly cold emptiness populated by political exiles in labor camps. Traveling its breadth via the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Yekaterinburg, across the Urals and along the shores of Lake Baikal, to the Pacific port of Vladivostok, one finds that Siberia is a testament to the challenges taken on by a population that continues to confront the rigors of life there.

In this illustrated evening, George Munro highlights the area’s various cultures, beautiful architecture, and historic past. From Krasnoyarsk in the village of Shushenkoe (Lenin’s exile home) to the historic towns of Tobolsk, Tomsk, and Irkutsk, there is much to see in this vast territory. No armchair tour would be complete without a visit to stunning Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world.

Munro is a professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University and a Smithsonian Journeys study leader in Russia and Siberia.

CODE: 1H0-552