Winston Churchill defined Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. It was still the case when Hari Kumar left southern India and went behind the Iron Curtain in the seventies to study medicine at Peoples Friendship University, Moscow, USSR. Through the eyes of a man from a very different background and culture, Hari recounts his intimate observations of the lives and habits of the Russians; their joys, troubles, ambitions and hopes. It is a true story from a fascinating period in History delightfully told with an abundance of humour. A Different Degree gives you a remarkable insight to attempt to solve the riddle, unravel the mystery and understand the enigma that was the USSR.