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The Russian Soviet Mirage I Traveling i n USSR T o d a y tra v e l th r o u g h th e U S S R is a co m m o n p lace. Q u ite th e fa s h io n a b le w a y to sp e n d o n e ’s v a c a tio n . B u t th e tra v e le r s a re o f tw o ty p e s , th e c a s u a l one, w h o do es n o t k n o w th e la n g u a g e ; a n d th o s e , lik e th e m e m b e rs o f th e U k ra in ia n N a tio n a l W o m e n ’s L e a g u e o f A m e ric a to w h o m it is th e ir n a tiv e to n g u e . T h e w o m en o f th e U N W L A a re m o s tly E u ro p e a n -b o rn w o m en, w h o h a v e s p e n t n e a rly t h e ir w hole liv es in th e U n ite d S ta te s . T h e y c am e h e re a s y o u n g g irls e a g e r to le a rn , a n d to m a k e t h e ir liv in g , in th e w o rld . T h e y a d ju s t ed th e m s e lv e s to th e A m e ric a n w a y o f life , a n d lik e d t h e ir n e w h o m e la n d . S till th e y lo v ed th e old c o u n try , w h e re th e y h a d s p e n t th e ir ch ild h o o d a n d ad o lescen ce. A lw a y s th e y g rie v e d a b o u t th e b o n d a g e o f U k ra in e , a n d tr ie d to h e lp in d if f e r e n t w a y s. N ow , a f t e r lo n g y e a r s o f se clu sion , th e b o rd e rs o f th e old c o u n t r y a re o p en to th e m . N a tu r a lly m a n y decid ed to tra v e l. T o m e e t re la tiv e s , to v is it g ra v e s , to r e m e m b e r th e p la ce o f th e ir e a rly y e a rs . A n d to see, w ith th e ir ow n ey es, U k ra in e u n d e r C om m u n is t ru le . T h e y a re r e tu r n in g w ith a g r e a t g rie f. T h e s h o r t s ta y o f a m o n th does n o t g iv e s u ffic ie n t o p p o rtu n ity to see m u c h . B u t t h e ir e y e s a re s h a rp e n e d b y love a n d c o m p a riso n . L o v e f o r th e old p la c e s a n d re la tiv e s g iv e s th e e m o tio n a l b a c k g ro u n d to a ll im p re ss io n s. A n d , in c o m p a rin g th e s itu a tio n w ith th e old d a y s, c e r ta in co n c lu sio n s a r e in e v ita b le . T h e ir k n o w le d g e o f th e la n g u a g e e n a b le s th e m to m o re a c c u ra te ly a p p ra is e w h a t th e y se e th a n th e a v e ra g e tr a v e le r can . T h e y a d m it h a v in g se en U k ra in e . I ts ric h fie ld s, its d a rk w oods, its a b u n d a n t riv e r s . T h e y v is ite d th e c itie s, a n d a d m ire d th e a te r s a n d m u s e u m s. T h e y w e re led to sch o o ls a n d fa c to rie s . T h e y m e t U k ra in ia n peo p le. B u t, th e y d id n o t fe e l, n o r h e a r, th e tr u e life o f U k ra in e . T h e R u s s ia n la n g u a g e d o m i n a te s e v e ry w h e re . R u s s ia n p eo p le o ccu p y th e le a d in g p o sitio n s in a d m in is tra tio n , a n d p ro fe s sio n a l life . U k ra in ia n c u ltu ra l e v e n ts a re o v e r-sh a d o w e d b y R u s s ia n e n d e a v o rs. B e sid e th a t , th e f a c ts o f e v e ry d a y life a d d e d n e w gloo m to th e ir im p re ss io n s. T h e h a r d w o rk o f w o m en is a n o u ts ta n d in g f a c t a s e v e ry w h e re in th e U S S R . T h e c ro w d e d a p a r tm e n ts , a n d lim ite d liv in g sp a c e is a less k n o w n b u r den. T h e lin e s b e fo re fo o d s to re s m a k e s h o p p in g a n ew , h a r d e x p e rie n c e . S h o rta g e o f d if f e r e n t go o d s, lik e m e d icin e, a g g r a v a te s th e s itu a tio n . F e w tr a v e le r s c a n v is it v illa g es. A ccess to th e a v e ra g e k o lk h o z (co llectiv e f a r m ) , th e so re sp o t o f S o v ie t eco n o m y , is d e n ie d th e m . B u t re la tiv e s fro m v illa g es c am e to th e n e a r b y c itie s to m e e t th e U k ra in ia n la d ie s fr o m A m e ric a . F ro m t h e ir w o rd s, a n d e v en m o re fro m th e ir w ith e re d fa c e s, a n d w re tc h e d a ttir e , th e y could g u e ss th e m is e ry o f th e ir liv es. A s one o f th e tr a v e le r s e x c la im e d w ith g r i e f : “ B eliev e m e, I c a n n o t e n jo y m y life a n y m o re, sin ce se e in g h o w p eo p le s u f f e r th e r e . . .” I t is h a r d to d e sc rib e it. B u t w e sh a ll t r y to g iv e a fe w g lim p s es o f d if f e r e n t a s p e c ts o f So v ie t life , a c c o rd in g to th e o ra l re p o rts o u r m e m b e r g a v e u s. In Town O n a r r iv in g in a c ity , I n o ti fie d m y frie n d s . T h e y c a m e to v is it m e in th e h o te l ro o m . A f te r th e f i r s t g r e e tin g s a n d e x cla m - tio n s th e y w e re s e a te d . I, o f c o u rse e x p e c te d th e u s u a l flo w o f ta lk o f fr ie n d s lo n g s e p a ra te d . T h e c o n v e rs a tio n w a s a b o u t to collapse, w h e n one o f th e m s u g g e s te d w e ta k e a w a lk ^ T h e y w a n te d to sh o w m e th e c ity . O n th e s tr e e t th e y s ta r te d to ta lk a g a in . M a in to p ic th e b u ild in g s w e p a sse d . S u d d e n ly m y fr ie n d sa id , w ith o u t r a is in g h is voice, o r c h a n g in g h is a ttitu d e : “ T h e re a re ta p e re c o rd e rs in e a c h h o te l ro o m .” ❖ In a fe w d a y s I v is ite d th e m in th e i r tw o -ro o m a p a r tm e n t. T h e y w e re h a p p y to h a v e t h e ir ow n ro o m a n d k it c h e n ; a n d r e la te d h o w th e y g o t it. A f te r fill in g a n a p p lic a tio n , th e y h a d to w a it f o r th e r e s u lt — th e a p p lic a tio n c a n b e re je c te d , w h e n th e p e titio n e r h a s n o im p o r ta n t jo b , o r is c o n sid e re d u n lo y a l. W ith a p o sitiv e a p p ro v a l th e y g o t th e ir n u m b e r, a n d s ta r te d to w a it. I t w a s 750, b u t could a lso h a v e b e e n 2550, a s o th e rs re c e iv e d . A n d 2550 c a n m e a n tw o o r th r e e y e a rs d e la y u n til a n a p a r tm e n t is a c q u ire d . T h e ir ro o m is 5 x 6 fe e t, th e k itc h e n 4x5. T h e fu r n is h in g is v e ry p rim itiv e . In s te a d o f a ta b le in th e k itc h e n , a b o a rd w as fa s te n e d to a bo x . O n a n o th e r b o x a w a s h b a s in w a s s e t, fo r p e rs o n a l a n d c lo th e s w a sh in g . H e is w o rk in g on th e ra ilro a d , a n d sh e is te a c h in g . T o g e th e r th e y e a r n 75 ru b le s a m o n th . A n d , th e y a re h a p p y in th e ir w alls. — W e c a n a t le a s t ta lk to e a c h o th e r fre e ly , sa id th e h u s- НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ — ЛИСТОПАД, 1961. 17
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