Where It All Goes Down
Soviet Union
The Wild Children takes place in the Soviet Union in the 1920s, just years after the country went through a revolution that installed the communist government into power. It's not exactly a smooth transition, however. In fact, we can find plenty of evidence of this by taking a close look at the novel's setting.
Bright Lights, Big City
The bulk of the book takes place in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union. Moscow was once a thriving city—it was basically the New York City of Russia. Alex has vivid memories of visiting the city when he was younger, of "people laughing at the restaurants, and the warm, book-lined walls of his uncle's house" (2.9). Things have changed a lot since then, though. This once-great city is now in the midst of a downward spiral, its residents struggling just to make ends meet.
This effect becomes even more pronounced when winter hits Moscow. In case you slept through geography class, just know that Moscow is way up north—in fact, it's only a hop and a skip from the gosh-darned North Pole. In other words, it gets really cold there. Because of this, Moscow is absolutely decimated during the winter. Alex describes how the once-bustling market squares now "seemed almost empty except for […] a couple of carts with wooden wheels being drawn, not by horses, but by peasants" (3.17). Given this, Alex and his friends have no choice but to head south for greener (literally) pastures.
Down South
Things are way different down south. First and foremost, it's a lot warmer down there—it practically feels like Florida in comparison. This might not seem all that significant, but it has a huge effect on the group's morale, causing Alex to feel hope "for the first time in the months since he left his home" (8.41). Sounds like someone was suffering from SAD, huh? Regardless, this balmy weather also means there's a lot more food to go around, which is literally a lifesaver for Alex and his pals.
The boys also get a first-hand lesson in the difference between rural and urban communities during this journey. While cities like Moscow are kept under tight control by authorities, there are a few more liberties afforded those who live in the countryside, if only because there are fewer soldiers to go around.
We see evidence of this in the Ingush community, who "did not want to join the collectives" and have instead decided to "keep on fighting" (11.31) Soviet rule. There's nobody like that in Moscow. Regardless, this fact gives us hope for the future of Russia, as it shows that the spirit of the Russian people is still alive and well, no matter how much their government tries to crush it.