Sunday, March 30, 1958

THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE

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A fter Grim Train Ride to Leningrad
Girls View Puppet Show and Opera,
Find Moscow a'Facade'

restaurants, we were hotter than
the food.'" Air conditioning is ap-
parently not yet approved, so
people crowd the beaches, mostly
wearing underwear; bathing suits
cost too much.
After visits to the Stalin-Lenin
Mausoleum and the cosmopolitan
night club at the Hotel Metropole,
the girls prepared to move back
into what we must call the West-
ern Sphere of Influence,
Looking back over this eventful
excursion, Pat is mostly agog at
the political implications of it

all: the chance to compare, first to regard Paul Robeson, Theodore values of Russian and American
hand, the U.S. and Soviet govern- Dreiser and John Steinbeck very environments. After traveling
mental systems and to observe in highly. But current rumors that through Russia and other Soviet-
practice the Soviet doctrine of the bodies of Franklin Roosevelt occupied territory, her belief in
individual subservience to the and Benny Goodman were left the desirability of living under
state. She noted many curious and hanging in Central Park one night non-Communist government is un-
distorted impressions held by the are more difficult to explain. shakable.
Russian people. This is perhaps best expressed
Most of the people they met JZORA WAS MOSTLY upset by by her remark at the close of this
believed she and Izora were not what she calls "the facade" of interview, explaining her feelings
at all representative of American Russian life: expensive parks and upon entering the American Zone
college students but had been exhibits, but poor living conditions of Berlin, on the way back to the
especially selected by our govern- behind the scenes. United States.
ment to make a good impression. For her, the trip brought a new "We went through the Branden-
She found the Russians have come understanding of the relative burg gate, and we were home."


RUSSIAN BORDER GUARD
smiling and suave
fyig oneself for the rigors of the
trip, Izora claims.
Moscow had its parks, too. They
remember, with a trace of anxiety,
being followed by a sinister-look-
ing fellow who eventually trapped
them beside an artificial lake,
bought them some wine, spoke
excellent English and doubtless
reported the matter to Bulganin
next day.
The Moscow park system servesj
a dual function. It provides a
recreational area for the majority
of the population; and a relief
from their overcrowded living
quarters. The parks are also used
to distribute "propaganda," the'
term we use for the Russian news.
Pat asked someone about a
soap-box orator shouting at a
large group in a Moscow park.
"That's the world news," she was
told.
THERE IS evidently no water in
Moscow," said Pat, "only bad
Vichy water or warm pop. Every-
one drinks out of the same glass
at lemonade stands, then they get
sick."
Pat visited the immense Univer-
sity of Moscow, where a girl
showed her a rock collection in
her Geology class. She also visited
the only department store for
Moscow's 4 million people, GUM's.
There, one can find ladies un-
derwear in every color but white.
Orange slips cost $17 and up. (TV
sets are more reasonable because
the Government approves of
them).
THE CULTURAL climate is
nourished by both government
and industry. i Many companies
give away tickets to plays, operas
and concerts to workers. People
can be seen reading books in
public, this is, in fact, quite com-
mon. The music of Shostakovich,
Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev is
heard on the radio.
Everywhere, though, the subtle
thread of propaganda strings
people along. A Russian version of
Oklahoma makes "Jud" a wealthy
landowner. The elegant Bolshoi
ballet (with orchestra wearing no
coats, no ties, rolled up shirt-
sleeves) depicts the peasants'
burning down homes of aristo-
crats. Izor was reatly impressed
by the robust Russian ballet, com-
paring it to the more delicate
French style.
Just outside Moscow is an im-
mense and expensive Agricultural
and Industrial exhibit whenc each
P(rpUblic (or satellite, awecall'
t1m) had a display. Pat anid
IzLora were allowed to walk thlrongi
the lisplays freely, until thse
reacrihed onc buildiig only to sid
the door quickly locked in their
1t t s odel o
TSITING Mo ow in the midst
of a heat wave, according to
Pat, is not very droll, "In a fcw

\)
Rugged and i.
man s shoe. Cr
have eliminate
leather soft and
Cordo-Hide mot

in tune wi/A the saddle set in,
Genuine O!('ord-ld

asculine-every inch a
osby Square craftsmen
d stiffness, made the
supple. Ask for the
dels when you come in.

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