Origins of Russia

In reading the book review of Edward Rutherfurd's "Russka," Oct. 10, the identification of this book as dealing with the history of "Russia" is inaccurate.Mr. Rutherfurd excercises artistic license of "epic" proportions when he decides to call the area around Kiev "The First Russka" and the area around Moscow "The Second Russka." Actually, Kiev was the site of Kievan Rus', while Moscow was not and is not the site of another Rus'. Moscow was the Duchy of Moscovy which eventually evolved into Russia. The play on words by Mr. Rutherfurd serves to confuse the reader and give the impression that the nations evolving around Kiev and around Moscow were one and the same, when in fact they were not. Larissa M. Fontana, Potomac, Md.

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