U zemlji Amanullaha

Larissa Reissner (1895–1926), legendary Russian revolutionary, Bolshevik commissar, journalist and writer, wrote the book In the Land of Amanullah after staying in Kabul in 1921–1922. with her husband Fyodor Raskolnikov, the Soviet envoy in Afghanistan.

The book is an extremely lively reportage prose in which the author combines revolutionary zeal, sharp political observation and extraordinary literary talent. Reissner describes Afghanistan as a fascinating country at the transition from medieval to modern times. King Amanullah Khan implements radical reforms (abolition of the veil, establishment of schools, modernization of the army), and Reissner follows these changes with great sympathy, but also with a critical eye.

Particularly impressive are her descriptions of Kabul's atmosphere, the bazaar, the Hindu Kush mountains, the life of women behind the veil, tribal customs, and the conflict between reformers and conservative clergy. The book exudes exoticism, but also a deep understanding of the political processes and colonial games of Great Britain in that area.

Larissa Reissner's style is fast, graphic, lyrical and full of energy – a rare combination of groundbreaking nonfiction and true artistic prose. In the Land of Amanullah is considered one of the best works of Soviet revolutionary literature of the 1920s and a classic of the literary reportage genre. Unfortunately, Reissner died very young (at the age of 31), so her oeuvre remained relatively small, but extremely high quality. Today, the book is also read as a valuable historical document about Afghanistan on the eve of great turmoil.