Shulpyakov’s book of essays invites to give another thought to the age-old conflict: Where does the West end and the East begin? Is Russia an Asian country, even halfway? Russia serves as the point of attraction and the author’s self-reflection. Ensuring the book’s thematic diversity, the author covers the perennial topics of history, culture, and literature, all considered in a global context; whereas the semantic depth is achieved by more private motifs. The West toward the East looks like a philological experiment: the author is trying to come to terms with his cultural inheritance, resolve the conflict between the tradition and fluidity, and discover a fitting place for himself and his country in a global context.