It certainly feels like June is the coldest month of the year for us folk in Melbourne right now. But it’s also the month of release for Nicolai Lilin’s shocking exposé of an amazing criminal underworld.

Siberian Education is Nicolai’s breathtaking account of growing up amid the brutal underbelly of the Trasnistrian mafia. Within three days of its Italian publication in April 2009 the entire print run of 28,000 had sold out—and it’s in high demand in Australia and New Zealand.

You can hear Nicolai’s first hand account here or visit our Facebook page to watch a trailer for the book here.

This is a world where the gun is God, and God doesn’t mind handing out retribution.