A Memoir from the Early Years of Soviet Krishna Consciousness
Krishnananda dasa
A very personal account of the dawning of Krishna Consciousness in Russia as experienced by one of the early devotees there. Pulling from stories by others and his own experiences, we see the ups-and-downs of starting a spiritual movement in an area of the world where religion was/is discouraged and often illegal. With stories and 103 photos of those early days, we get to know what these glorious pioneers endured. Also 11 rarely seen photos of Srila Prabhupada in Moscow.
From the River of Time is a collection of memories about the first years of the Krishna Consciousness movement in the USSR by one of its veterans—Krishnananda prabhu. This book is not an objective piece of historical research but rather a collection of personal memories by the author, recorded from the memories of many other veterans. The author’s sparkling sense of humor and his sincerity add a special flavor to this book, while his comments on the archived photographs immerse the reader in the unique atmosphere of that glorious time.”
— Bhakti Vijnana Goswami
“In reading From The River of Time, one is taken back to the pioneer days of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in the former Soviet Union. As with all pioneers, the first Hare Krishna devotees there met with many obstacles, to the point where some even sacrificed their lives for the cause. For those who departed and for those of persevered on we owe our deepest gratitude, as captured by the words of Gordon B. Hinkley:
‘We cannot detract from their accomplishments. We cannot add to their glory. We can only look back with reverence, appreciation, respect, and resolution to build on what they have done.’
“We are grateful to Krishnananda dasa for his collection of memories from those historic years. Had he not compiled such material, the world may have never known an important and relevant chapter in the history of the International Society For Krishna Consciousness. May Sril Prabhupada, who single handedly planted the first seed of devotion to Lord Krishna in what is now the Russian Federation, bless him.”
— Indradyumna Swami
“I started visiting the former Soviet Union in the late 1980’s, so I’ve personally met and served with Krishnananda dasa and many of the early devotees he writes about. I thank him for helping me to better know and appreciate many of those whom I did not know as well as I do now.”
—Niranjana Swami
