Archaeologist-Approved: Kurgan Teacher Writes Book on Time Travel and Ancient Survival

In Kurgan, at the central library named after V. Mayakovsky, the book «Eye of Time. From the Lynx Clan» (12+) by Elena Kazymova was presented. This is the first part of a large-scale fantasy cycle where modern technology becomes a portal to the deep past.

Elena Kazymova is a teacher with forty years of experience. She worked in a school, the Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Education Workers of the Kurgan Region, and Kurgan State University. She is the author of over seventy scientific and methodological publications on correctional pedagogy.

The plot setup is understandable to any modern teenager. Thirteen-year-old Artyom and Vovka, along with nine-year-old Arina, go on an excursion to the Local History Museum. The usual immersion in history through 3D glasses suddenly malfunctions—or, on the contrary, works too well. The children find themselves in the Upper Paleolithic era not virtually, but in reality.

Instead of the usual comfort—harsh Trans-Ural region thousands of years ago. The teenagers have to urgently recall survival skills. They build a hut, make fire, and prepare to meet predators. From the fangs of wild beasts, the children are saved by hunters of an ancient tribe, who take the «aliens» in.

Elena Kazymova dedicated the book to her son Alexey. The writer admits that the images of the main characters are composite, but the names belong to her grandchildren. And the main critics have already delivered their verdict after reading.

— On New Year, I gave Arina the book. She read it with pleasure and shared her impressions with me. She says: «Grandma, you mixed everything up, you mixed up the characters, not just the age.» In my book, Artyom is older, and Arina is younger. ... She also told me: «Your Arishka in the book is a real girl and a little kid.» I said: «How so?» My granddaughter replied: «She is nine years old, she still cries. I stopped crying at eight,» — the writer recounted.

At the book presentation, Elena Kazymova recalled that she dreamed of writing a work of fiction about the Kurgan Region since childhood.

— Back then, my mother said: «What are you thinking? You need to know a lot, you need to be a writer, historian, local historian.» And now I decided to study this topic and try my hand at creating a work. But the impetus was a book that I have loved since childhood and reread many times. It«s »The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson with the Wild Geese.« And another work by Thea Beckman—»Crusade in Jeans.« Relying on how teenagers get into the past, I tried to write such a book, — said Elena Kazymova.

The writer approached the preparation and collection of materials for the future book responsibly. To ensure that the life of ancient people did not look like a fairy tale, she consulted with archaeologists and scientists from KSU. Every detail—from the children«s attempts to teach the tribe to make clay pottery to the description of flora and fauna—is based on scientific facts. The head of the archaeological laboratory of Kurgan State University, Igor Novikov, joked at the presentation that on the book »Eye of Time. From the Lynx Clan,« one could put a stamp »Archaeologist-Approved.«

Ahead for the heroes are five more journeys that will cover key archaeological points of the region. In the second part, the heroes will find themselves in the Zverinogolovsky District dating back to 11,000 BC. Then they will visit the famous Savin Sanctuary in the Belozersky District, where the sky will open up to them through the eyes of ancient man. The fourth stop—the Neolithic, the era of the first «invaders» and the agricultural revolution. The fifth book will transport them to the Kargapolsky District of the Late Bronze Age, to a real «land of bears.» The finale of the series will unfold in the Early Iron Age at Tsarev Kurgan.

The deputy director of the Kurgan Regional Scientific Universal Library named after A. Yugov, Candidate of Historical Sciences Olga Babushkina, noted at the presentation that the book «calls for illustration» and could easily become a screenplay for a film.

— The most valuable thing is that the heroes survive in the Paleolithic. Specifically here, in Shikayevka—one of the oldest places in the Trans-Ural region where humans were present. The main thing here is the honest attempt of the heroes to prove that they are capable of surviving in harsh conditions while preserving humanity. This is what is often lacking in children«s literature today, — said Olga Babushkina.

The paper version of the first book in the cycle «Eye of Time. From the Lynx Clan» will soon appear in libraries. Electronic versions of the book are available on platforms.