I have devoted the past eight years of my life to the country, living in it, journeying across it, even writing a book about it. The region of Russia that has intrigued me most of all is Siberia.

Every winter in Russia's east, rivers that vein the enormous open spaces of Siberia freeze solid. Once the cold begins to bite, life for most people in the region turns inward. But for one group ...

The tattoo reads "Glory to the Rus (referring to Russia)". Siberia, with its long, brutal winters, has been a favorite spot for Russian leaders to send convicts for labor-camp sentences for the ...