IPW Walker Information Manual

8/3/2019 IPW Walker Information Manual

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TilE AMERicAN SOViET WAlkENdiNG AN ARMS RACE Nobody WANTS

WALkER INfoRMATioN MANUAL

international peace walk, inc.national office field office4521 campus drive temple heights stationbox 387 p.o. box 53412irvine, california 92715 washington, d.c. 20009(714) 675-1290 (202) 232-7055telex: 3727090 ipw


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Welcome,We hope you find th is information helpful . The success of ourWalk depends in part upon our preparedness and level ofeducation.Of the vast array of material about the Soviet Union, we haveselected a sampling. The enclosed pages are readin gs which wefound informative and exci t ing , leading to a desire to learnmore.Much of the content of th i s Manual i s excerpted from a bookcompiled by the Center for US-USSR In i t i a t ives , an organizationwhich has fac i l i ta ted many ci t izen t r ips to the Soviet Union.Add it iona l sou rces are the American Frie nds Servic e Committee andalso Educators for Social Responsibil i ty.A three-member In ternat ional Peace Walk delegation wil l meet oneweek (May 4 to May 10) in Moscow with the Soviet Peace Committee.Upon i t s return we wil l send you a second mailing which will alsocontain information compiled by American F ie ld S erv ic e, Inc. Thisgroup, with much ex pe rien ce in cross -cu l tura l education, isorganizing our or ienta t ion program i n Washington, D.C. along withour Philadelphia Support Group.A th i rd mail ing,information, willington.

with las t minute deta i l s and schedulinga rr iv e sh ortly before our gathering in Wash-We hope in th is way to answer most of your questions about thet r i p . I f questions do remain, the Philadelphia Support Group isavailable to answer telephone inquir ies . Call Bob Alei, SteveBrigham, Sue DeLettera, Stephanie Nichols and Mark Hengstler at215-438-0178.The la t te r three selected and reviewed the material for thisManual. Further material and edit ing was provided by Gene Gordonin Recruitment.Peace to you a l l , and happy reading!

Allan AffeldtIPW President


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-.TABLE OF CONTENTS

Map of Route .......................................... 1

Tentative I t inerary and Weather .............................. 2S tatement of Purpose .......................................... . 3Show and Tel l 4Wha t to Bring 5

.7ealth Tips . ............ .................................Cyri l l i c Alphabet 8Customs Information 9Money, Credi t Card, Shopping ..................... 10Ins t i tu t e for Soviet American Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Brief History of the USSR ......................... 13What About the Russians and Nuclear War? ............... 16US/USSR Mindsets ............................... 20Miscel laneous Information 22Cul tura l Norms 23Commun i ca t ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Gif t s 31Do's and Don't 's 32Precautions 33Recommended Reading . 34Faci l i ta tors a t O rie nta tio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35


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KALININOBLAST

Map of The American Soviet Walk RouteLen ingrad to Moscow - Oblasts and republicsa re analo&ous to s ta te s .S c ~ l e - I inch - 63 mileso 100 200I , ,

TilE AMERicAN SOViET WAlk ENdiNG AN ARMS RACE Nobody WANTS

FINLAND

LITHUANIANREPUBLIC

THEBALTICSEA

north


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.June8-11

1213-1516171819-2021222324-252627282930

July t4

678-1112

\Tentative Itinerary

Orientation, all 200 IPW walkers, tent encampment in Washington, DC.Charter flight to Leningrad from WashingtonOrientation with 200 SPC walkers (all 400 walkers together), Pelrodvorets. the Hermitage, etc. LeningradWalk begins down the road to Moscow.Night in TosnoSeltsoChudovoNovgorodKretsy. New RahinoPadhuno, ViypolsovoTorzhokKalininZavidovoSenejIstraEnter Moscow areaAmerican Soviet Peace City, Moscow, tent encampment in public park

Moscow tours, programs and interactionsGlobal Interdependence Day CelebrationMoscow concert - proposed "walk and roll summit."He-orientaucn and goodbyes to Soviet walkers .Charter flight from MoscoYJ to Washington D.C.Tent encampment in Washington . Press visits, goodbyes, and re-acculturation.The American Soviet Walk officially ends.

WEATHER

Leningrad an d th e a re a s ur ro un din g i t e n j o y mild summer, whent w i l i g h t l i n g e rs unt i l m i d n i g h t . In Moscow, an d a l l o f C e n tra lR u s s i a , summers a r e u s u a l l y h o t .

Le n i n g ra d

Moscow

Hi66

67

JUNELow51

50

Hi71

71

JULY

Low57

54Degrees F a r e n h e i g h t

Raingear r e q u i r e d . R a in f a l l l e v e l s in June and J u l y a r e q u i t ehigh in this p a r t o f th e c o u n t r y .

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STATEMENT of PURPOSEThe purpose of ThE AMERiCAN SOViET WAlk is to dr aw auent ion to th e need to en d the arms race before Itends us, and to provtde a positive model for the resolution of Intemotlonal and cross cultural confllcLAs citizens. we cannot enact the legislation that will en d t}'le arms race, bu t we can help to create a climatein which such legislation is Increasingly likely. We walk as Americans and Soviets, together. to demonstrate thatpeople from different cultures. notions. Ideologies and generations can live and work together for common goalsand on the common ground of our shared humanity. By walking. ta lk ing and listening to each other in diversegroups focused on our shared concems, we gain insight and perspective into ho w our conflicts began. and ho wthey might be resolved.We use walking first. as a metaphor for what we believe needs to happen:

personal and physical involvementslowing downcomparing our actions to their object ivestaking the time to understand each otheran d carefully planning. together, our next move.

But walking together as citizen diplomats is more than just a metaphor-It is also a process an d a grounding,the very oct of which leads to the resolutions and understandings we seek.We believe that the arms race can be reversed. and that this Ismost likely to take place In th e context of a dramaticimprovement of relations between the United States an d the Soviet Union. We also believe that this change canbe encouraged through significant civilian. cultural and trade exchanges; and that these will create a climate inwhich action can be taken to en d the moral. economic. and suicidal i llogic of the arms race. If we are right, thewalk we are developing will ploy a rale in the evolution of civil ized relat ions between ou r tw o nations.

Short term planningfearignorancegreedand unrestrained/ unfocused technologyhave provided uswith 60.000 nuclear bombs-the equtvclent explosive power of over a million Hiroshlmaswaitingto happen. or on equal al locat ion of over 4 TONS of TNT for every ma n. woman, an d child on the face of theearth. Stili, we spend ou r most precious resources building 6 more nuclear bombs each day. and putt ing themon ever faster a nd m or e accurate. automatic. long distance. hair trigger. computer gUided delivery systems.

There must be a better wa y to go about addressing legitimate security an d defense concems than threateningto blow up ou r global home if we. or they, do n't get things "our way."It is time for a change.

We p r a p o s e -the pursuit of diplomacy in place of rhetenc and hollow promises.of reductions instead of technological fixes.and of cooperation as on alternative to confrontat ion.Surely if the worldwide resources we no w use to project f ea r a nd p r op a ga te w a r were Instead wisely appliedtowards serving humanity we would have less to t ight about. less to be In want of. and less reason to be afraid.We must be custodians and protectors of all life on this earth if there Is to be any human future.We need to start no w.

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Examples o f Show an d T e l la r t su b m itted by c h i l d r e nw i l l be found on pages 22,32, and 33.

PLEASE MAIL YOUR PAGES TO:American Sovi e t WalkShow an d T e l l4521 Campus Dr. S u i t e 387I r v i n e , CA 92715

sltow ANd TlLWe want Americans and Soviets to come to knoweach other on the most basic level - as people wita shared desire for peace. To this end, we are puting together "Show and Tell" albums, designed tlet us meet each other although thousands ofmileapart. To fill these albums. we are asking everyonwho can to send us an 8 1/2" X11" page ofphotographs, drawings, poetry - any expression othemselves or their desire for peace. Soviets. likAmericans, love pictures - one of you and your family with a brief description of your lives would bwonderful!

be CREATivE!Reach out to everyone who might want to be apaofthis project. Schools, churches, organizations anfriends are good choices. We'll be taking all the pagewe get by June 1with us on this year's walk tosharwith all the Soviet citizens we meet. In the monthto come, we hope to have hundreds ofvolumes fromboth countries to share with people everywhere anto build bridges ofhumanity. Get everyone you knoto create a pagelAlthough only a few people will be able towalk witus on this year's American SovietWalk, we hope tshow the Soviet people that there are thousands anthousands ofAmericans who want to live with themin a world of international peace and cooperationPeace, after all, is not merely the absence of waIt is the presence of friendship.


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We have assembled a l i s t of things you wil l need for our t r ip tothe Soviet Union. Some items are d i f f i cu l t to purchase in theUSSR so consider careful ly what you want to br ing .

CLOTHING:Underwearwool 01'" wool blend socks1 01'" 2 pa i r s of pan ts3 01'" 4 t - s h i r t s2 01'" 3 pa i r s walking sho r t s1 01'" 2 long s l eeve sh i r t s1 01'" 2 sweat sh i r t s 01'" sweatersl i g h t weight j acke t2 pa i r s of comfor tab le walking shoesgood l i gh twe igh t ra ingear (gortex>CAMPING EQUIPMENT:Tent to accomodate you rse l f and otherPad and s l eep ing bagFlash l i gh tDay backpack or fann ie packWater bo t t l ePERSONAL:CameraBat t e r i e sMedicat ionsJourna l and pensF i r s t a id :b l i s t e r r-el i e fl o t ionBand-aids

Indeges t ion r e l i e fKa ope c t a t eLaxat ivesBug r e p e l l e n tAspi r inAny i tems which you f ee l you may needTampons, pads ( they d o ' ex i s t in th e USSR!! ! )

We are not sure of how much space each person will -have to stowgear on the Walk, but hope to know for sure when our delegationre turns . More info in next mail ing.

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MORK TIPSTUINGS YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE WITU YOU TO THE USSR-------------------

Wash cloth --------chances are you will have p Ie nt y of Cowels, but no wash c l ochSoap - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - t h e r e is soap, buc i f you want a good lacher, Cake your ownBachcub stopper - - -s tandard rubber disk - they are vircually non-existent.Bottle opener ------most l ikely, the hotel room wonOt have one.Lomotil - - - - - - - - - - -you will be eating strange foods, s tomach up sets are frequentCough medicine -----available bu t no t too tasty - throat lozenges handy to have.Vitamins------------there is no problem at Customs with prescript ion meds orvitamins.Eat/Drink ----------Packets of coffee, chocolate, c r ~ a m e r s , tea bags, Tang orpowdered juices or soups. Hot water is always available.

Dried frui ts , sunflowers seeds , peanut butter, prunes, nutsand raisins make good snacks.Toi l.et art ic les --cosmet i.cs , toothpas te, sa nitary napkins, bandaids, toi le tt issue . Public restrooms seldom have paper (Soviets carrytheir own). In our hotels i t will be provided bu t is coarser

than ours.Conver ter - - - - - - - - - i f you use hairdryer, curler , electr ic razor, iron, etc ' tyou will need an adapter/converter for 220V.Film - - - - - - - - - - - - - t ake plentyl It can be bought but is expensive.Travel alarm------wake-up calls are provided but sometimes not dependable .Detergent - - - - - - - - - fo r clothes washing. Rooms are warm enough to dry clothes

over night.Eyeglasses - - - - - - - - take two pairs. I t is mise rable to lose or break glasses and

have no replacements.Journa l - - - - - - - - - - -Our notes are frequently th e second most important item wetake home (besides our photographs , o f course); frequentlyeven the camera c a n ~ capture what ou r words on the spot can .


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IMEDICATIONS AND VITAMINS

MEDICATIONSBring with you an adequate supp ly of a l l prescr ipt ion medicines,cough syrup, something for stomach upset , asp i r in , and otherf i r s t a id med icati on s i f you use them. I f you have . any heal thproblem, you can be assureq doctors are readi ly avai lable inevery hotel , and they do make house (room) ca l l s . When we were inMoscow, our roommate thought she might be gett ing pneumonia. Thedoctor , an at t rac t ive young woman, was there in less than th i r tyminutes and prescr ibed medication that had our fr iend on her fee tsight-seeing again the next day.Stomach upsets are not uncommon among t rave le rs . Take alongwhatever medication works best for you . Many swear by A C apsules which can be purchased in health food s tores 1n e US.

VITAMINSTake an ample supply of whatever you use. Be you own wellnessexpert .WATERWater i s safe to drink in Moscow and in most other c i t i e s in theUSSR. However, we have been cautioned against d rin king the waterin Leningrad. Bottled water may be purchased in most hotels . Tryto keep some good water in your plas t ic water container. But evenbrushing one's teeth in Leningrad tap water is unadvisable.Brushing teeth in club soda i s an exper ience!SMOKINGBe par t icu la r ly courteous about smoking. Buy everything you needbefore you depart. C igare ttes in the USSR are expensive and lessavailable than in the US.

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You are about to encounter what at first sight may look like a verycomplex method of writing, but which really need not frighten youat all. I f you look at a page of printed Russian, it will undoubtedlylook like Greek to you. This is perfectly natural in as much as theRussian or Cyrillic alphabet stems largely [rom the Greek. But evenif you have not studied Greek, you will not find it too difficult, becauseyou already know many of the letters. Take for example th e word"America". In Russian this comes ou t AMepHKa. With the excep-tion of the substitutions of different letters for R and I, it lookspretty much the same, doesn't it? Now, knowing that t he l et te rH, which looks like an N backwards, is an I, can you tell what MHaMHis? You are right; it is "Miami".

Therefore, instead of learning the complete new alphabet, remem-ber only that certain letters are the same as ours; a second group lookslike ours bu t has different values; and a third group consists of somepicturesque let ters which will be completely new to you. Fortunatelythis last group is not large.Here are the three groups:1. The following letters are common to both languages: A. E, K.M. 0, T.2. The following letters exist in English bu t have different values

in Russian:B pronounced as English VH II II NP II .. RC " .. SY II II 0 0X II .. KlI

and R written backwards: St, which is equivalent to uYAlI" inEnglish.

3. The following letters are equivalent to English let ters or com-binations of letters:

6 s Br GJJ. D

Yo (pronounced like Yo in York)} I i Soft J (like the S in pleasure)3 ZH I (pronounced EE)n Y (pronounced as the English Y in boy)n Ln pcI FU TzIf ChW Shl l ( Shch:3 E (as in get)'10 U (as in cute)

8

a(6) )BI") leislK3HAKJII IHonpCTYcIJXI (IfWlIt'bhibs10JI

~ [ X l ~ l E 3 l W $ $ n ~ l r oc.\[L!P [Mlc.\OO[]'

ahbela ven ggtla aehyelayah zh6h ...uneeee JaABT-koh"64kahelemenolapenelteh00 -efkhah -tseh -chah -shah -shchah (tv'YOa-de6 zJUJU)yeh-REE(m'YAu-ke6 znahk)eh (oh-boh-ROBT-nohyooyah


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SOVIET CUSTOMS AND CURRENCY REGULATIONS FOR FOREIGN TOURISTSA tour is t must f i l l out a customs declarat ion - one upon enteringth e USSR and another when leav ing the co un try.The customs declarat ion fi l led out upon entry into theremains i n the tour i s t ' s possesion throughout his stay inUSSR. If a customs declaration is lost i t is no t renewed andperson who loses i t also lose s th e r ight to take out ofcountry the ar t i c l es , currency and valuables ind icated indeclaration.

Tourists entering the USSR can bring with them:

USSRth etheth ethe

rubles ) promissory notes, checks,l imitation of sum but subject tocustoms.

1. Personal belongings in amounts necessary for the stay in th eUSSR.2. Tourist and sports ar t ic les necessary for the . stay in th e USSRwith due account for the nature of th e tour (duty free) .3. Inexpensive souvenirs in reasonable quant i t ies (duty free) .4. No more than 250 cigaret tes or 250 grams of other tobaccoproducts (d uty f ree) .5. Any cur re ncy ( except Sov ie tf o r e i ~ n currency withoutoligatory regis t ra t ion with

I t is forbidden to bring into the USSR:1. Military weapons of any kind and ammunition for them.2. Narcotics and d ev ice s fo r thei r u s e .3. Pornographic l i te ra ture and pictures .4. Printed matter , manuscripts, photographs and other mater ia lsdetrimental to th e USSR pol i t ica l ly or economically.5. Meat products (exclUding canned meat).

When leaving the USSR tour is t s may take with them:1. Personal belongings , tour is t and sports a r t ic le s that werebrought into the USSR upon entry.2. Articles purchased with legally acqu ir ed Sov ie t money.3. Inexpens iv e souv ine rs r eceived as gi f t s .4. Articles purchased a t "Beriozka" stores for f ree ly conve rt ib lecurrency without a l imit on quanti ty , on presentat ion to thecustoms of payment receipts from these stores.5. No more than one l i t e r of sp i r i t s , two l i t e r s of wine, 250c igare t tes , 200 grams of ground or ins tan t coffee, -- 150 gramsof black or red cavier , 200 grams of spices.6. Any currency, etc . brought into the USSR and registered withcustoms.

I t is forbidden to take out of the USSR:1. Military weapons of any kind, ammunition for them and militaryequipment.2. Antiques and works of ar t such as paintings, draWings,sc ulp tu re s, c arp ets , icons, church and household ar t icles , armsfu rn itu re , fab ric s, ornaments, clothes , manuscripts and booksmusical instruments, a r t ic le s of archaeological value.3. Meat products (with the exception of canned meat).


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MONEY, CREDIT CARDS, SHOPPINGMONEYHow much money you take is up to you. I f you are a souviner buyeryou may need more than the person who buys an occasional momento.Based on our experience with former t rave le rs , the ave rage per sontakes $200-$300 in Traveler ' s Checks. They should be in smallerdenominations of $10 and $20.Also - since we wil l be away from commercial centers a good dealof the time - we should carry perhaps $50 in US bi l l s . When we dostay at a hotel , we can use dol lar bi l l s at the cash "DollarBars" to purchase sof t and hard drinks, f ru i t ju ices , bot t ledwater, and club soda with which to brush our teeth in ourLeningrad hotel room.The Russian ruble is not t ied to the Western money market, so i tdoes not f luctuate on a daily basis . The State sets the exchangera te monthly. One ruble to $1.40 is typical . The ruble is dividedinto 100 ~ o p e c k s .The national currency of the USSR - the ruble - has cu rrency onlyon the t e r r i tory of the USSR, and i t is forbidden to take i t inor out of the country, except in special ly provided cases.The of f i c i a l organizat ions that exchange foreign currency intorubles are the G o s b ~ n k (State Bank) of the USSR and Vneshtorbankof the USSR which have a ramified network of branches andexchange off ices throughout the co un try.- Exchange offices arelocated a t hotels , camping s i t e s , railway terminals , sea and a irports and border points . Office hours at exchange offices areusually from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. At some hotels and airports theywork around the clock.A special network of s tores accepting payment only in foreigncurrency functions on the t e r r i to ry of the USSR. Goods sold a tthese stores are mostly of the nature of souviners.CREDIT CARDSVisa and American Express are accepted for purchases in the Beryozka s tores (Government s tores ) . MasterCharge is also avai lable ,but not everywhere. Do not re ly so le ly on MasterCharge.SHOPPINGMost people shop in the duty-free Beryozka ( " l i t t l e birch t ree")Government s tores . These s tores tend to be less expensive thanthe other Soviet shops, and they also stock goods unavailableelsewhere. However, i t is fun to explore and to try your hand a ta l i t t l e shopping in the Russian s tores . The procedure isdif fe ren t than in ours.You se lec t an item you want from the clerk. She gives you areceipt and you go to the cashier and pay. Then you return to theclerk with your receipt marked "paid" and she gives you your purchase. Most Soviet s tores don ' t provide bags or wrapping paper.

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Message from the President of ISARThe changes now taking place in the USSR are so broad-based tha t thetime has come to take a new, hard look a t t h a t country and the direct ioni t is headed. The changes are not s u p e r f i c i a l , cosmetic changes, but aradical restructur ing which cuts deep down into the consciousness ofSoviet c i t i z e n s . They are being given more information about problemsin t h e i r society and what is going on outside t h e i r country. After twoyears in power, we have a good idea of what Mikhail Gorbachev i s saying,

of the new people he has brought into power and of the s t r u c t u r a lchanges he is making w ithin the system. We are witn essin g th e emergenceof a s i g n i f i c a n t world leader who sees the big pic ture and thec o m p l e ~ i t y of the interdependent p a r t s .Reading through the many pages of Gorbachevs recent speeches, onegets the impression of a s t a b l e , energet ic , i n t e l l i g e n t and determinedman. He does not shy away from the use of such words as " s p i r i t ~ a l , "nor from taking personal r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for the future of mankind. "Nowis the time for bold and r espons ib le act ion in the i n t e r e s t s of thewhole world," he said to a meeting of w r i t e r s . He seems to have a senseof his role as a strong world leader, determined to bring d i f f e r e n ti n t e r e s t groups as well as n atio ns to ge th er with awarene ss of t h e i rcommoh i n t e r e s t s . While he is dealing with d i f f i c u l t i n t e r n a l problems,bureaucratic i n e r t i a , economic stagnat ion and p o l i t i c a l s e l f - i n t e r e s t ,as well as s er iou s e xte rn al problems, he also seems to have a sense ofthe h i s t o r i c a l moment. He recognizes the opportuni t ies to make dramaticchanges in r e l a t i o n s h i p s between countr ies--such as the attempt a tReykjavik to make a b re ak th rough in arms c o n t r o l , and the e f f o r t tocreate a turning point in world opinion by r e l e a ~ i n g p o l i t i c a l prisonersjust before i n v i t i n g world leaders to Moscow for a peace forum. Withhis p o l i t i c a l savvy and pr op Lt Lous sense of t iming, he is staying aheadof the p o l i t i c a l analysts , but he may be way ahead of his t ime.Looking a t the dynamics of the r e l a t i o n s h i p , i t i s i n te re st i n g tonote how the United States and Soviet Union need each o t h e r . In oneway, the conservat ives and hard- l iners on both sides need an implacableenemy to j u s t i f y m i l i t a r y expenditures. Gorbachev seems to be aware ofanother way in which we need each other when he says: .

"We a r e aLl 1n one b o a t . Whether we l l k e one another o r n o t , it 1Se s s e n t i a l we l e a r n t o c o - e x i s t , to l i v e in peace on t h i s t i n y and veryf r a g i l e p l a n e t . Our n u c l e a r age of growing economic and p o l i t i c a linterdependence r u l e s out the s e c u r i t y of one nation to the de t r iment ora t the expense of the s e c u r i t y of another n a t i o n . I s h a l l r e p e a t onceaga in ; t o g e t h e r we w i l l e i t h e r p e r i s h or s u r v i v e . S e c u r i t y nowadays canonly be mutual , based on a u n i v e r s a l model. We a r e a l l d i f f e r e n t , eachp r o f e s s i n g d i f f e r e n t i d e o l o g i e s , p o l i t i c a l sys tems, and fo l lowing onesystem of r e l i g i o u s b e l i e f or a n o t h e r . N e v e r t h e l e s s , we a r e a l l verydependent on one another today . Hence, we should think d i f f e r e n t l y .We should v i g o ro u s l y s e a rc h f o r ways of b u i l d i n g new i n t e r n a t i o n a lr e l a t i o n s . " (Moscow News, 12/14/86)

With r emarkable cando r and self-confidence, Gorbachev i s allowingmore honesty and t r u t h t e l l i n g in regard to Soviet history under S t a l i nand in facing unpleasant aspects of current problems. The t r a d i t i o n a lSoviet pretense of the s u p e r i o r i t y of t h e i r system to a l l othersis absent from his speeches. ' Gorbachev i s gi ving his people the badnews and i s t e l l i n g them t h a t the the system is not working. Instead ofthe usual exagger at ed boast ing, he says t h a t each comrade, includinghimself, must learn to do his work in a new way and be open toc r i t i ~ i s m . Gorbachev has gone beyond propaganda and r h e t o r i c to launcha s e r i e s of bold i n i t i a t i v e s which have already had a s i g n i f i c a n t impact

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on decis ion making in the Communist Par ty , di sc ip l ine w ithin the KGB,freedom in the cu l tu ra l and l i t e r a ry community and t o l e rance of dissen t .The re lease of Sakharov and 150 po l i t i c a l pr i soners by an act ion of thePresidium of the Supreme Sovie t demonstra tes "g lasnos t" in p rac t i ce ,s ignal ing t h a t open di scuss ion and c r i t i c i sm of the soc ie ty ' s problemsmay no longer lead to the gu lag .The c r i t i c i sm now appear ing in the Sovie t media concerns issues t ha tin the pas t were only revealed by i l l ega l , unde rg round Samizda tpubl ica t ions . A Sovie t emigre says , "Ten years ago my f r iends were sen tto the gulag for saying what o f f i c i a l Sovie t spokesmen a re saying now."Hard-h i t t ing a r t i c l e s by Richard Pipes , Zbigniew Brzezinski and SenatorDole have appeared in the Sovie t p res s . Edi tors of major publ i ca t ionssuch as Pravda, Kommunist, Moscow News, Ogonyok and Komsomol arep rac t i c ing the new pol icy of openness by publ ishing s t o r i e s aboutproblems within the USSR, such as food shor tages , poor medicalt rea tment , and i n fan t morta l i ty r a t e s . For the f i r s t t ime people areread ing in the newspapers about KGB abuses of power, cor rupt ion amonghigh par ty o f f i c i a l s , ex is tence of p ro s t i t u t e s , teenage su ic ide , drugabuse, crime and increasing abor t ion r a tes . Unpleasant as these may be,t he i r being brought out in to the open and publ ic ly d i s c u s ~ e d i s aheal thy s ign . These a re a l l problems t h a t used to be swept under therug and denied, crea t ing an atmosphere of hypocr isy and f a l s i f i ca t ion .To be sweeping t h i s debr i s out in the open con t r ibu te s to ther ev i ta l i za t ion of the soc ie ty .Fundamental is sues a re under di scuss ion and far - reaching dec is ionsa re being made in economics, t r ade , po l i t i c a l , soc i a l and cu l tu ra li s sues . New laws have been passed which begin to i n s t i t u t iona l i ze thechanges Gorbachev has s e t in motion. A rev is ion of the cr iminal j u s t i c esystem is underway which wi l l make it harder in the fu ture to put peoplebehind bars . Rest ructur ing in th e M i nis try of Trade wil l make it eas i e rto engage in fore ign t r ade . Ind iv idual labor l eg i s l a t ion has beenpassed by the Supreme Sovie t encouraging fami l ies to take i n i t i a t i v e s inrun ning sm all bus inesses . Libera l i za t ion in the ar te has been gainingmomentum.At the Plenum Meeting of th e C en tra l Committee on January 27,Gorbachev ca l l ed fo r an infus ion of new l eadersh ip in to the par ty , fo rs e c r e t bal lo t ing and a choice of candidates in par ty e lec t ions whichwould give the working people "con t ro l from below." He spoke ofl eg i s la t ion being draf ted to p ro t ec t c i t i zens agains t abuses of power,and to g ive people the r igh t to f i l e complaints in c ou rt a ga in st i l l e g a lac t ions of o f f i c i a l s . In his e f fo r t s to d emoc ra tiz e Sovie t soc i e ty , heseems to be t ry ing to move toward the ru le of law, away from a rb i t r a ry _dec i s ions made on the whim of pet ty bureaucra t s and to make government -o f f i c i a l s accountable . We should remember, however, t h a t democrat iza t ioof Sovie t so c ie ty is a fa r cry from what is cons idered democracy in th eUSA.

Pred ic t ing the success or fa i lu re of a l l Mr. Gorbachev i s try ing todo is impos sib le b ut once the i s sues have been brought o ut in to theopen, they wil l not be eas i l y fo rgo t t en or dismissed. A process ofi n t e rna l dia logue has begun. Gorbachev has undertaken the r isky courseof ra i s ing the expeota t ions of the Sovie t people and of chal lenging theold guard . He i s ac t ing as a ca t a ly s t fo r change and re leas ing thel ong -r ep r es s ed ener gi es of the Sovie t people . He recen t ly sa id , "Theya re try ing to make me a god, but I am not . I f there i s a god, it is theSovie t people . " [Wash. Pos t , 3/9/87] This may be a d i f f i c u l t processto con t ro l , but he has taken the l id o ff Pandora ' s box.~ * & ~


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DID ' HIstORY OF 'l'HE USSRCenturies of feuda lism, barbarism, desperate living and invasionsgeographically and cultural ly isolated from renaissance and developing WestTsar. church and few rich noblemen ruled with iron handMasses slaved for the eli teRussian Orthodox Church supported the eli te

Peasants began to unite in l8000sTsar was bleeding the country with WWI millions were killedAristocratOs sons and daughters developed social conscience1917 Tsar was overthrown and church thrown ou tSocial ist system instal led

1918 fourteen Western countries sent in forces to bring down new governmentThis fanned unhappy f ac ti on s f ac ti on s in the country and Civil War broke outUSSR again lost millions to th is in te rn al war1924 Lenin died - Stalin came to power

Stalin grabbed power in a ll areasCountry was s t i l l i l l i terateHe began impossible agriculture program and industrializationMasses relocated, died of starvation by millionsAny dissent was squelched by immediate imprisonment or deathCompliance with authority became absoluteMeanwhile some of Stalinos plans were workingEducation moved rapidly forwardIndustry in large cities grew at unprecedented rateHealth care, nursery schools, emanciapation of women reached new levelsThe country was moving out of feudalism bu t terror stalked th e land.

In late 300s Hitler was conquering one country after anotherStalin tr ied to ge t England and U.S. to sign a mutual support pact.They chose no t to get invo lved1939 Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler with agreement toprovide him with raw material.

1941 Hitler invaded USSRSoviet Union total ly unpreparedStalin unable to cope. country no leadership in belinning

Nazios moved quickly through USSR and established thousands ofextermination camps.Germans burned , looted , and murdered i nhab it an ts i n every village they camFour years later, 2/3 of country lay in ruins,Industry, hospitals. l ibraries , factories, museums,20,000,000 dead (we lost less than 500,000)25,000,000 homeless

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After pushing the Germans off th eir s oilthey swept through the Eastern European countries who had fought with Hitlerand met the Americans at the Elbe River.Through t reat ies and forceThey have maintained control of the ' 'buffer states" except for Finlandand Austria ever since. The West saw this as "aggression" and theSoviets saw i t as protection of their borders - plus spoils of theirvictory over those who invaded their land.

1945 (41 years ago ) emaciated people began rebuilding their scorched country.European special ists surveyed the devastation and estimated i t would take 100 yearsto rebuild the USSRThe "Cold War" began almost illllDediately.Stalin was more paranoid than ever and s t i l l brutal

Churchill and Roosevelt didnGt t rust Stalin quite naturallyThe wounded Soviet Union closed offThe "Iron Curtain" was erectedMcCarthy came into American prominence with anti-Soviet campaignThe East and West began knee-jerk reactions of fear and hostil i tyenemy imaging became encreuched.

WIIA1' DOES mrs HAVE to DO WID 'DIE SOVIET PEOPLE YOO WD.L 1IDT1* Average people you meet have histories that will shock you . . .was . . . 30 years old during the war. . was . . . 20 years old" "". . .was . . . . 10 years old" "" . . . was . . born du ring the war. . . . .was . . . . born 10 years la ter into rubble. have mothers , fa thers, and grandparents whorelate the tragedy of their experience"

"""""

",...

""""

""""

70 year old you meet60 " " " "50403020

every

* These people s t i l l live with the memory of hunger, fear, and burning homes* I t affects their entire world view. They have been molded and shaped byWorld War II (the Great Patriot i c War. to them)* Peace is an urgent, pressing issue everywhere you go in the USSR.


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They have a great fascination with and admiration for Americans.They want to be accepted and acknowledged by usWe are their models in many areas - they want to cut their hair like us,wear makeup l ike we do, and dance to our mus ic, etc .

Pozner said "If there is any people on the face of the earth that Soviets wantto be friends with, i t is Americans - there is a very s trong fee ling among themfo r this ."

1'HEIROS IS A VERY DIFFEllEB'I' WOBLD FHDM OURS

*** Isolated from rest of world fo r centuriesMuch less developedVery structured . and plannedTight control until very recentlyMany young men in uniform in ci t iesLess color than the WestClassical education is now available for everyoneconsumer technology is 40 years behind th e West

Soviets are: Private and quiet in public placespassionate in privatecool unt i l personal contact is madevery helpful

proud of their countryvery patient

have low level of expec tancygrateful for simple thingshonest - no guile - no arrogancevery loyal friendsstraight to the pointopposed to going dutch - the host pays for everythingvery generous with time and moneyappreciate people who are punctual

love to give l i t t l e gifts - for no special occasioninternational in focuschild centered

unconsciously collectivegreat readers (even Western authors)trustworthysincereself monitoring - and they monitor each other

suffer from infer ior ity complex to rest of worldare hungry fo r acknowledgement from th e outs id e world

END OF HISTORICAL SWEEP .......................................... .......1S


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20 Q's & A'sWHAT ABOUT THE RUSSIANS-AND NUCLEAR WAR?1. Hasn't Russia always been expansionist in its foreign policy, going back totsarist times?Russian expansion early in the tsarist era was largely indistinguishable from theoutward expansion toward better agricultural lands, and the need to protect theseset tlements. Later, Russia followed the colonial expansion of most Western Euro-pean countries, although its pattern--expansion into unclaimed or weakly-held adjacent lands--was more similar to the American pattern, than, say, the British globalempire-building effort.2. Did the Bolsheviks have the support of the Russian people when they overthrewthe tsar in the Revolution of 1917?To begin, the Bolsheviks did not overthrow the tsar. The tsar was forced to abdicate in the face of massive opposition to continuance of Russian participation inWorld War I and to his reign. Seven months later, the Bolsheviks overthrew theProvisional government which had been established. At that time, they had widespread support in the cities, but not in the countryside. Even in the cities,their support was by no means the majority. .3 Are the Russians trying to lead a worldwide revolution to establish communistregimes?For a brief period after the Revolution, Lenin organized the Comintern for thispurpose. It was a complete failure. While the Soviet Union has remained friendlyto revolutionary regimes once they are formed, they have focused their primaryenergies and resources on building their own country--"socialism in one country"as Stalin called it--as a precondition for worldwide revolution. Where they havesought to use military and economic aid to assist revolutionary regimes in theThird World in recent years, their efforts have brought them only meager success.4. What started the cold war between the Soviet Union and the West? After all,weren't we allies with the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany in World War II?First of all, the Grand Alliance of World War II--the U.S., Britain, and the SovietUnion--had considerable internal strain. To be allies against a common enemydoesn ' t imply permanent friendship. The origins of the cold war are many. Certainly the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe played a key role in the Westernperspective. The Soviets, in turn, emphasize the fact that the West, and especially the U.S., "ringed" their country with air bases on which were based bomberscapable of reaching the Soviet Union, bombers which eventually carried atomicbombs. This catalyzed a long-standing paranoia about security in Stalin and otherRussian leaders.

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5. Why are Russians so paranoid about their security?Russia has been invaded repeatedly since the 13th century. They have also beenrelatively isolated from the W e ~ t for centuries. giving them a distrust of foreigners. During World War II , they lost 20 million people, about a tenth of their population. All these factors, together with the general hostility which the Westerndemocracies have maintained toward them since the Russian Revolution, contributeto their paranoia.6. Why do so many Russians revere Stalin when he was such a tyrant?Stalin industrialized the country, led the fight against the Nazi invasion, andmade the Soviet Union a great. world power. He also helped create a cult about himself . The many people killed in the purges, the deaths from starvation after collectivization, and the system of terror are remembered as well, but on balance,Soviet citizens give Stalin credit for his achievements.7. What are Russians really like?To begin, only 52% of Soviet citizens are Russians. Another 20% are related Slavicgroups--Ukrainians and Belorussians. The traditional Russian national charactercould be characterized as one with a considerable respect, i f not desire for, authority; distrust of fore igners; fiercely nationalistic and willing to make sacrifices for "Mother Russia"; and very private in their opinions. But i t must be remembered that 'this is only a generalization. and only for 52% of the population.8. What is everyday life like for Soviet citizens?Life expectancy and literacy are about the same as in the U.S . The Soviet economyis performing poorly, with many sought-after goods--apartments, good meat, highquality clothing a ~ shoes--in short supply. The privileged groups do have accessto special stores where these things sometimes can be purchas&d more easily. Public services are cheaper and generally available in sufficient supply. Most womenwork. Student life is not radically different from that in the U.S., although thecurriculum is more heavily science- and math-oriented and the program of study morrigid.9. The Soviet Union put up the first Sputnik. Are they stil l ahead of us inscience?They were never ahead of us in basic science. They have a good basic science capability, but the U.S. is better . In terms of applying sc ientific knowledge tobuilding factories, machines, and weapons, they do very well in military-relatedareas, such as rockets and satellites , but are well behind us in general industriaapplications and particularly in some high-technology areas like computers. Thatis why they want to purchase Western machinery and technology.10. How bad are the country's economic problems?The Soviet economy has stagnated. It is handicapped by a cumbersome central planning process and an enormous bureaucracy, and by the burden of defense expend itures. H ~ ~ e v e r , i t by no means is in such bad shape that i t leaves the Soviet.Union naked to economic measures taken by the U.S . in hopes of for.cing on theSoviet leadership changes in their domestic policies or their foreign and militarypolicies.11. Will the Chinese and Russians ever get together again? After all, they'reboth communist countries.The conflict has ancient historical roots. Currently, they are in disagreementover communist doctr ine, who will lead the socialist camp, and policy toward theWest. The best bet is that the Chinese will steer an independent course for sometime to come. .17


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11. Why did the Reagan Administration try to block the Siberian-West European natural gas pipel ine? Won ' t tha t a lienate our European allies?The attempt to embargo the use of American high technology on the pipeline waspredicated on two beliefs: (1) that it would prevent the Russians from acquiringmuch-needed hard currency, thereby enabling them to continue to devote largeamounts of their annual budget to military programs; and (2) i t would make theEuropeans dangerously dependent on Soviet natural gas, and thus subject to international blac kmail. There was also a desire to "punish" the Soviets for the ir actions in Poland. It did cause great strain in our relations with NATO allies,strain which has only partly eased with the abandonment of the embargo effort.12. Who rules Russia?The Soviet Union is ruled by the Communist Party, which is superimposed on thestructure of government at all levels. The Party is ruled by the Politburo andSecretariat for the most part. Within these bodies there is a collective leadership, among which one individual, the Party Secretary, now Yuri Andropov, ;s themost powerful figure. Sometimes, e.g., in Stalin's time, the rule of the Secretarycan be very powerful . .13. All the news about dissidents and the KGB suggests there is little freedomin Soviet society for the individual. Is this so?The number of political dissidents in the S o v i e ~ Union is very sma11--on1y a handful of people. There is far less freedom there than in the U.S., less freedom tomove around the country (there is a system of internal passports and closedcities), less freedom to criticize the government and party (suggestions for changecan be made, but only within 'est ab1i shed communication channels controlled by theParty), less freedom of the press and assembly (the media are controlled by theParty, and large demonstrations, when they occur, are orchestrated by the government). Yet the society is largely free of the mass terror of Stalin's time:Rather the system of internal control depends on propaganda, withholding privileges and, of course, the coercive power of the KGB and other police organizations.14. Why did detente fail?Those who thought detente was a sham to begin with felt i ts failure was inevitable,i .e . , the Russians can't be trusted is their perspective. Those who felt detentehad promise point to the conflicting conceptions of detente each side held, theproblems that were neglected in establishing detente, and the interaction betweenSoviet and U.S. frustration, .di sappointment s , and fears.15. Why are the Russians spending so much on defense and building al l these newweapons? Are they trying to gain military superiority over us?This is a question that only someone inside the Politburo can answer with certainty . At a mlnlmum, the Soviets are determined to match the U.S. weapon for weapon.They will never again accept the inferiority they had at the time of the Cuban missile crisis. They are aware that the U.S., with its greater lead in high technology and larger industrial base, could probably win an all-out arms race, but theyalso seem to realize that it would be foolish for them to stimulate such a race,given the risks of nuclear war i t would entail.16. Do the Russians think they can win a n u c l ~ a r war?Soviet military doctrine emphasizes preparing to fight a nuclear war, just as oursemphas izes building an effective deterrent. In each instance, the result has beenthe same: both sides 'have enormous nuclear arsenals. But there is l i t t le reasonto believe they think they can "win" a nuclear war. Forty percent of their population and a far greater percentage of their industrial base would be destroyed in

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an all-out nuclear war. We have no reason to believe they are not forthcoming intheir frequent pronouncements that a nuclear war would be insanity.17. But don't they have a large civil defense capability and an ABM system?The Soviet civil defense capabil ity, l ike that recently developed in the U.S., islargely on paper. They do have some protective facilities for the political leadership, but not for their industry or the population at large. The Soviet ABM system is only around Moscow, and is not thought to be in any way capable of intercepting incoming missiles.18. Look at the huge Soviet defense build-up. Doesn't that violate the provisionsof previous arms control treaties?We can be cer ta in that the Soviets will continue to build weapons to at least equalthe strategic capability of the U.S. As ~ o the treaties, of the eight distinctivenuclear weapons-related treaties signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, therehas not been a single instance of violation recorded against either side.1 Why is verification such a problem? Is i t because we think the Soviets planto cheat?The verification problem has its roots in a number of factors, including: (1) nota single weapons system was designed with an eye to the verification problem;(2) the extraordinary differences between the forces on the two sides, (3) difference in verification assets between the two countries; and (4) the question of whatconstitutes lI adequat e verification." But at bottom, -the real problem is neitherside trusts the other.20. What kind of a person is Yuri Andropov and why did he, among al l the othercontenders, get Brezhnev's job?We do not have a clear picture of Yuri Andropov. He is described as both liberalin some of his views and a hard-liner in others. His background and experienceare also mixed, having served as head of the KGB during a period of suppressionof dissent, but also having been a Central Committee expert on Eastern Europe.He won the job on the basis of his broad range of experience and familiarity withboth foreign matters and domestic problems, and because he had the support ofpowerful members of the Politburo and the Soviet military."20 Q's AND A's ABOUT THE SOVIET UNION" was prepared by the author of What aboutthe Russians--and Nuclear War?, Dr. Earl A. Molander, Executive Director aT rAEGRoUND ZERO pAIRING PRoJECT. Additional copies are available for 25/copy. Sendyour order and check to the address below. Copies of the book are available atthe following discounts:6-20 copies S3.20/copy, we pay shipping.20-74 copies S2.7S/copy, we pay shipping.75+ copies S2.50/copy, we pay shipping.Other educational materials available from THE GROUND ZERO PAIRING PROJECT include:a four-page STUDY GUIDE, an eight-page MINICOURSE, a four-page "TESTING YOURUSSRIQ," a four-page BIBLIOGRAPHY, and a four-page "THE U.S. 'THROUGH RED-COLOREDGLASSES. II I Send S1.00 for samp1es and a pri ce 1i st.

THE PAIRING PROJECT, P.O. Box 19049, Portland, OR 97219 U.S.A.

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20 THOUGHTS TO PONDER REGARDIBG US/USSR RINDSETSDavid L. Ouinby

_ Each country seems to have an exaggerated fear of the other. The problem here isthat such exaggerated fears can trigger aggression and war.2. Each country ag ;:ers to be motivated in part by macho pr ide-best persorufied byRonald Reagan. When one is motivated by -nacho pride-, one wants one I s country to have animage of being tough, p::rwerful, courageous, masculine. This kind of motivation has nodoubt been behind tradit ional efforts of empire-building and empire-keeping.3. Anger and hatred are comnon in both countries. These are th e fl ip side of fear. "limangry as hell a t you for naking me fearful" may be the unstDken message.4. One can see evidence of a diabol ica l ~ - i J I I a g e in both countries. This is seenin the prevalent black-or-white kind of dichotanous thinking: "We I re the Good Guys andthey I re the Bad Guys can be a si lent assumption at work in both nations. The "Good Guys"ccmponent; here may be a foen of fantasy or wishful thinking. The "Bad Guys- partheightens that effect, of course, even though it is oversimplifed. What's more, weundoubtedly project sane of our bad t rai ts onto th e enemy, unconsciously.5. 5anewhat related, each country seems to m nw n a JDOral self-image: "We are sofine and upstanding a people, we could never s tar t a war! II This i s virtually a universalkind of stance.6. There is the CODIOOn - P r ~ u s I l lus ion, the assumption that other (neut ral) countr iesare more friendly to us (less hostile) than they really are. Thus when the n, S. wentinto Grenada, we were shocked that some of our friends didn I t -understand- this. TheRussians had similar experiences in Afghanistan.7. There is the phenanenon of overconfidence. This i s frequently seen in the military.'u t i t I S an interesting observation that no large country that started a major war in the20th century has finished t::he winner. 01eck i t out. 8. The Fberianenon of worst-casethinking. This is sometimes found in the military as well. I t assumes the enemy isbet7.er prepared than we are. The impact of -Worst-case thinking on the aDDS race shouldbe ::-parent .9. 1he problem of overlapping t e r r i to r i a l self- images. 5anetimes there is a place, azone of overlap, where one nation I s terr i tor ial self-picture coincides with anothernation I s self-picture. This is said to be historically a CClI'IIOOn cause of war. I t I s hardto imnediately refer to an i l lustrat ion of this in the case of Russia and America, exceptperbaps syntx>lically. But there a re cer ta in ly many places in th e world where i t involvesother countries and in which two supetp::lWers could becane artlroiled.10. The big problem of selective inattention: the tendency to p lt certain things outof one I s mind. In this DeChanism, if sanething we are doing is bugging the e n e m y ~ erefuse to think about i t . Ronald Reagan seems fixated on -strategic equality or-s tra teg ic super ior ity and he seems unable or unwilling to give other J:X)ssibilitiesattention. Be represses alternatives.11 . The problem of preexist ing bel iefs influenciD9 present perception. In otherwords, if the Russians propose saoething nE!'tli or pranising, our off icials may automaticallysee i t in l ight of saueth ing out of the past . Often proposals, fran either side, arequickly dismissed with a -That I s just rhetoric. There are endless examples of this.12 . Persistence of p r ~ n u c l e a r bel ie f s . Bumanity has not really fathaned the ful limplications of living in a nuclear age1 this is particularly true of leaders in thes u p e r - ~ w e r s . Announcements are made, and actions are taken, as though the world was~ i l l living back in the 1930s1 Psychic nUlIiJing-, in effect, has been with mst of us~ i n c e 1945.13 The insidious problem of blurred dis t inct ions and the spread of at t r ibut ion.This refers to the inabilit:'j or unwil lingness to separate a person I s mind and actions. Inother words, if th e o. S. administration has decided that t he p re sent Premier of Russia is

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llbad", then automatically a ll of his ideas and actions are seen as llbadll I t ' s aninability to distinguish the two aspeces, That is , the attributed llbadnesS spreadsunchecked. In this conrectaon, leaders, and sometimes th e populace a t large, make twounwarranted assumptions. Firstly, they assume that llbad people do "bad things Secondly, they asstm! if an action is bad i t must autanatically have been done by a -badperson" These unwarr.anted assumptions show up repeatedly in Ronald Reagan's statE!llE!!'ltsand speeches. Whether Mr. Reagan is actually ignorant of the distinction, or whether hedeliberately uses this mechanism to swa:j t=eOple i s a separate issue. To give him thebenefit of the doubt, I personally think he i s ignorant rather than malicious.14. The .ecbanisa of injured-innocence. Since each a)unt ry e thoocentr ical ly bel ievesthat i t i s naturally innocent of any aggressive intents, i t infers that any major aImingby the opp::lser ooviously has an aggressive in tent . Another a)untry a)uld not have arrtreal fear of us, thinks each nation. The injured-innocence mechanism seems closelyrelated to 15.15 . The 1Xlenanenon of 1D1iversalization. Most people are tempted to broadlyuniversalize their perceptions and even their ccmplete ' reality world'. This means thatwe assume that the Wa:j we see thing s is entirely objective, factual, right. Others oughtto be able to see i t th e same wa:j, therefore.16. ene' finds, in both the u, S. and the Soviet Onion, a credulous acceptance ofpropaganda. Many AIDer ieans seem to believe that Russians are smothered by a b lanket o fpropaganda put out by their leaders in iron-clad fashion. Many Russians seem to believethat Americans are s:mcthered by a blanket of capitalistic/industrial propaganda and cannotsee things as they are. But a l l propaganda seems to have limited effectiveness.17 . There is th e folly of th e e % t r ~ l a t i o n of a trend. When the Sov ie ts went intoAfghanistan, sane predicted that this was simply the f i rs t stage of a buddingBitlerite-typ! conquest that would soon engulf other terr i tor ies in the Mid-East. Lookingat defense expenditures, America is quickly gaining on the SOviets, that is , increasings trategic super ior i ty . In turn, the Soviets may be tempted to e x t r ~ l a t e this newtrend and becane even more fearful.18 . Both a)untries have a deep belief of pending diabolical , cold-blooded aggressionby -the ~ . Historically each aI'IIIY believes i t is innocent and has been attacked bydiabolical enemies. What reason is there to think th e sitiJation is different in 1984 thani t has been in the p ast?19. There i s a eatm:ln belief in the sut:etp)Wers of peace through Duclear par i ty . Thisis sanetimes called -balance. This is dangerous thinking. To make a crude analogy: twol i t t le boys are in a closed roan with gasoline flooding th e roan up to the ir knees. cnel i t t le boy has six matches and th e other l i t t le boy has twelve matches. Does i t matterwhich l i t t l e boy is which? Would you rest any easier i f each l i t t l e boy had six matches,or two dozen each, or two each? This analogy has a certain aQ;)ropriateness, except, ofcourse, that the planet is much larger, and more valuable, than a roem. But in .manycases, sad to sa:j, the mentality of the leaders in a l l countries does not seen too.dif fe rent f ran the two l i t t l e boys. What kind of ~ a n c e can there be in a volati lesituation l ike today's?20. There i s th e pathology in both countries of the bliDd spot . This refers to th ei nabi li ty t o see th e opposers' or the onlookers' perceptions of one's own nation. Eachcountry is iIrtledded in i t s own circle of misconceptions, myths, biases, miSp!rceptions,rigid thinking, stereotypes, projective behaviors, rationalizations, and so on.

This ha s been excerpted fran an art icle by David L. Quinby, Youngstown State University,t i tied 110. S. -Soviet Interlock Sociodynes, in CBAICB: Journal of the Synergist icSociety. Quinby, in turn, said he drew heavily lIpJn Fearfu l Warriors by Raltil K.White, New York: The Free Press, 1984.

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MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ON THE SOVIET UNIONWhat wor ks in th e Sovie t Union?Child ca re and educat ion. They have exce l l en t pro tec t ive laws fo r motheand ch i l d r en . All ch i ld ren ge t a c l a s s i ca l educa t ion , no matter where theyl ive , and they l ea rn languages from the e a r l i e s t grades . Also, the .Me t r o ,t h e i r subway system, i s sa fe clean and e f f i c i e n t . Cul tu ra l ac t i v i t i e s ,conce r t s , plays , and ba l l e t s are access ib l e to everyone a t low cos t .What doesn 't work in the Sovie t Union?The people l i v e in very smal l , s tandard i : ed apar tments , as jUdged by ous t anda rds . Pr iva t e homes a re very r a r e . Few people have pr iva te cars . Thera re s ho rta ge s of consumer go od s. Everyone has something; no one has a lo t .Thelr t rea tment of po l i t i c a l di s s iden t s i s d i s t r e s s ing , and the f ac t t ha tSovie t s a re unable to t r ave l outs ide t h e i r borders i s unfor tunata . Of cou rth e re a re except ions , but th ese a re r e l a t i v e l y few when compared to apopula t ion of almost 280 mil l ion .Gene Knudsen-Hoffman of th e U.S. -U.S.S .R. Reconci l ia t ion Program in SantaBarbara,CA perhaps sums it up bes t :"What did I f ind? I found fear of th e nu cle ar weapons t h a t are poised at a rge t ed a t them, deep love of ch i l d ren , p r ide in t h e i r vas t nation and inc i t i e s bu i l t from th e rubb le of war, pr ide in t h e i r a ccomp lis hmen ts , d esp i r i t u a l i t y in some, emphasis on va lues d i f f e r en t from ou rs , a his to ryv as tly d if fe re n t from ours , and again , fea r of th e West ' s hat red for them.I found t he re are many th ings about th e Sovie t Union t h a t I ques t ion ,doubt , and fea r . Their m i ~ s i l e s a re poised and ta rg e ted a t us. They a re no"peace" nat ion , any more than we a re . They a re an an t i -war na t ion , and t hei s a d i f f e r ence . They have a huge nuc lea r war a rsena l , j u s t l ike ours . Theplay power po l i t i c s , prac t i ce espionage, seek to keep coun t r i es en t h e i rborders "f r i end ly" thl""ough mil i t a ry occupa t ion , a re ta r-r if ie d of s t range. p l a ne s f ly ing over t h e i r t e r r i t o r y , and funct ion from fear ju s t l ik e us ."

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Cultural norms, and o th er th in gs to think about when visi t ing theSoviet Union, ftOen evaluating "their" behavior and consideringthe effects of "our" behavior upon the natives

Recall the last time you saw a group of Japanese tour i s t s - - a l l of them wearingten-gallon cowboy hats, taking pictures of one another at a monument. Or, recall thelast time you wer e standing in a supermarket l ine behind some foreigners ~ barel yspoke English, who fumbled through their paper money and stared in awe at the oddcollection of coins in their hands.Well, soon the tables will be turned, and you shall be the "foreigners" -- coweringin groups (we hope . no t l ) , trying to "capture" the essence of a strange country whilefearful of venturing out into that country (we hope not!) .The purpose of this note is to give you some things to think about before our vis i t-- things which may help to make your vis i t rewarding and educational .Each country, of course, has i t s norms of behavior; so, when a vis i tor ev al ua te s t hebehavior of the natives in terms of his or her own norms, th e vis i tor can make someinappropr.iate conclus ions. The following suggestions and observations may, we hope,help you make more appropriate conclusions.1. "Russians are rude: they push a lot ." Pushing and shoving are the nationalpasttime in the Soviet Union. Where an ~ e r i c a n , for instance, perceives an orderlyline, a Russian will perceive inf ini te open spaces and endless opportunities topractice jost l ing. Fifty Russians will comfortably occupy a space which fiveAmericans comfortably occupy.

Maybe scarci ty of goods has someth ing to do with all this pushing and shoving.Have you seen th e newsclips of people in this country shopping for "Cabbage Patch"dolls? Yet, Russians push and shove even when they don't have to (L e . , on subways,in busses). Maybe i t I s just the desire for physical contact, or the love ofcompetitiveness, but make sure you take time ou t to marvel at crowd behavior patternsin the Soviet Union. Try to get a vantage point (l ike on a balcony in GUM departmentstore) and watch how smooth and orderly the process actually is . Note that shovingor pushing with arms and feet are almost always inappropriate. Jost le with yourtorso, take small steps, and enjoy the flow of humanity .2. Special t ips re public transportation: take public transportation wheneverpossible (good advice when visit ing any country) . Show your hotel card to anynative, and chances are he or she will be very helpful in getting you back to yourhotel. Note: in Moscow, a surprisingly large number of people are visi tors fromother parts of the Soviet Union and are as lost as you are in th e big city -- if no tmore.

On th e long escala tors going down and coming up from the subways, slower t raff ickeeps to th e r ight . The l e f t side is the passing lane, reserved for Olympicsprinters and long-legged Estonians in a big hurry.Busses, trolleybusses and streetcars: enter from the rear door; leave throughth e front door. The bus or st reetcar will undoubtedly be jammed. Try to gauge yourposition on th e vehicle in proportion to the number of stops you think you're goingto go. If you1re too close to the front door you may easily be pushed off beforeyour intended spot (what a great chance to exp lo re the ci ty! ) ; i f you I re too fa r backfrom the door you may not get to the front in time to get out. You violate th e rules

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of the game if you start to cry, or i f you hang on for dear l ife to the sleeve of thebus driver (he or she will not appreciate this undue interference with the "existingjob" of maneuvering through the city t raff ic) .Getting on and getting o ff the busses, streetcars and tro lleys is only half thefun. You also have to pay. I t ' s done on the "honor system." There's usually onebox towards the rear of the veh ic le in to which passengers put their coins, and fromwhich they pull a l i t t le t icket. This honor system is supplemented by transit

workers who occasionally board and check passengers for their tickets. Of course,th e box will be jammed with people, so have your change ready beforehand. If youcan ' t reach (o r even see) the coin box, simply pass your coins up t o ~ a r d s the box.Eventually you'll receive back your ticket and your change ( i f needed). Don't standin front of that box unless you want to play cashier and t icket dispenser to 150natives.Note: when you're on any public transportation vehicle and a native politelymumbles a question, chances are he's asking i f you 'r e in tending to get off at thenext stop; then he or she will gauge his own position accordingly. In this context,confidently saying "da" i f you intend to exit, or conf idently saying "nye t" if youdon't intend to exit, would seem a safe bet. We assume no l iabi l i ty if any otherquestion was passed.

3. On the street:.- vehicles in the Sov ie t Union have the right of way!! Don't everjaywalk. Most busy streets will have pedestrian underpases; look fo r them. Apedestrian c ross ing the street on a "walk" l ight becomes fair game for cars turningrig ht and l e f t .4. Shopping: each group member is required to purchase one item in a real Russianstore (not a store reserved for foreigners and their foreign currency.) Find th eitem you want. Try to ge t th e attention of a salesclerk in this non-capitalisticcountry. Point to the item you want. The clerk will give you a receipt, and mayeven point you in the genera l direction of the cashier. Stand in the cashier l ine.Pay. Push through th e crowd back to your desired item. Give th e clerk the receiptwhich the cashier gave you. Relish the fact that you have actually managed to buysomething in a Soviet store.

Note: most stores don't provide wrapping paper or bags. Bring your own. Youwill remember all this when you see nat ives f ight ing through the crowds with largenewspaper funnels holding cookies, or fighting their way onto the subway with NewYears tree in hand. Most natives (and most astute visitors) carry around l i t t le netbags call ed "avoska' s" or "maybe bags." If you maybe see something you want to buy,you'll have a bag fo r car ry ing i t .5. "Russians are ~ h a p p y because they never smile." Americans smile more than anyother people, i t seems. We have been accused of walking around with automatic smileson our faces, even when that smile c lear ly bel ie s the real attitude. Well, Russiansdon't smile as much. I t has been said that in Rus si a, a smile is a prelude to alaugh. Look instead fo r eye expressions and body language to indicate mood andattitude.6. "Russians are rude because they stare so much." They do stare. Russians stareespecially long at foreigners. Remember that most of them do not travel to the West;so , during their long stares at you, they will be evaluating your facial expressins,body language, your hair style, dental work, eyeglasses, clothes, boots, etc. etc.Don't take offense; don't deprive them of this single opportunity to observe "theWest. 1I

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When making conclusions about clothes styles, etc . , you might want to considerthe fol lowing : the objective of a planned , socialis t economy is to estimate (andprovide) how many shir ts , coats, etc. each good citizen will require in X years. Ina capital ist economy, style may be a prime motivator in that i t encourages consumersto buy things they don't "need" -- except; that th e latest demands of fashion dictatethat last year's dress be replaced by this year's model. So, style and fashion are,in cer ta in respect s, inimical to the planned economy. But watch how style consciousSoviet citizens are anyway, and how their strapped economy tr ies to accommodate them.7. You " i l l want to bring l i t t l e sourvn.lr-s and gif ts . We will have one Intouristguide ."no follows us around during our vis i t . We will have guides staying with us ineach city, as well as guides taking us on special tours and visi t s . We will alsohave "structured" meetings with Soviet citizens. All of these represent occasionsfor presenting small gifts. And many times during the tr ip natives will present youwith l i-ttle mementos. The object in g l vWg a small souvenir is neither to over shelmwith generosity nor to offend. Good luck.S. Generally, Soviet citizens don't l ike having their pictures taken withoutpermission. Why? Some say i t is related to th e Eas te rn idea that a photographsteals the soul. Others suggest that Soviet citizens are ashamed of their clothesand surroundings. Sill others suggest that Russians are no t spontaneous people and,therefore dislike spontaneous pictures and prefer posed pictures. At any rate,remember all this when you are tak ing pictures. Best to ask f i rs t . You may see anexcellent potential shot of . a wonderful lady sell ing fruit in a kiosk. If you ask totake her picture, you may have to wait forty-five minutes as she brushes her hair,adjust her clothes and puts on fresh makeup, and then starts turning a ll the applesand oranges to show off their best sides. You may simply take a fast picture andrun, but you will have paid fo r i t by producing some bad feelings. .

Each group member Is required to at least once walk around a city without havingthe ubiqui tous camera hanging fran the neck. See i f you are treated any differently.Do Hot take pictures of anyone in a military uniform. Do Not take pictures ofanything which may be of "mili tary signif icance;" that definit ion can includeairports, bridges, ships, etc. Never take a picture fran an airplane window or froma train window -- wi thout f i rs t asking. The ' way to ask to take a picture is "Hczhncsnimat?" The answer will be "dan or "nyet ,"

Some conclusions:We would consider your exper iences in the USSR incomplete i f you did not break offfrom the group occasionally and mingle with the natives. Watch for interestingthings , differences in norms. You will notic e that when a man and woman walktogether , the man carr ies the woman's purse. Young women tend to talk togetherarm-in-arm, touching each other in ways that in this country would be inappropriate.You may even see macho male Soviet soldiers holding hands in museums. You will seeyoung men and women kissing or hugging in public; they usually walk arm-in-arm(holding hands is considered childlike). Notice also how young children are pamperedand spoiled beyond belief . Watch fat' all the special seating and other favors fo rdisabled war veterans. Notice the r el at ive sca rc ity of older men.

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COHHUNICATION WITH SOVIETS

Communication with SovietR at official a n unofficial levels is compl icatedby a number of factors that are l i t t l e understood by either side.Americans assume that Sov ie ts t hi nk and verbalize as Americans do!make th e same assumption th e other way around! These assumptionsgreat deal of diff icul ty when conversation goes beyond chic-chat.

For s ta r te rs :

Sovietsaccount for a

*** In a rather g l o b ~ l way, Soviet thinking is molded by the World War IIexperience. Their deprivation, loss, and suffering has produced amindset that colors their perception of everything. Even i f they areteenagers, they have been reared from the cradle with stories of theheroism and terrorism of the "Great Patr iot ic War". Americans have hadno such experience and frequently feel Soviets should "turn loose of thepast." Whether they should or sbcu Idn'tt is imma te ria l, they havenOt - andthis has to be factored into any serious conversation with them.

*** There is an infer ior i ty/superior i ty syndrome in th e Soviets relativeto Americans. They, on the one hand, really b eliev e th at Americanshave the beautiful l i fe , that ou r c o u n t ~ y is a l l gl i t t e r and l ights, thatwe have unlimited consumer goods and freedom - we are l ike the richkids that l ive up on the hi l l . Hard times have never touched us - andour casual "goodtime Charlie" approach to l i fe is enviab l e andintriguing. They have admired us from afar , given thanks to us whenwe sent food, clothing and money to them during the war, and alwayshave used us as their model. They want to dress l ike us, cut theirhair l ike us, and dance to our music. They read our l i terature andstand in line to see our movies.This is the side that produces the inferiori ty - i t seems they alwayscome off a l i t t le shabby in comparison with us (that is i f we arecomparing the material is t ic side of our two societies). So anytime weare in communication, this invisible (and mostly subconscious) aspec t willbe a dynamic in the conversation.The superiority side of the equation e m ~ r g e s around th e issue of valueswith Soviets feeling that they have superior education for their youth,a more widely read populace, a more cultured people, and 8 better systemof taking care of health and genp.ral welfare. They see our societyas chaotic and pretty frightening. They also feel that they have astrong edge on disarmament proposals and are more serious aboutcreating a nuclear-free future.This infer ior i ty/superior i ty overlay plays in and out of most interactionsbetween Americans and Soviets.


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There are many such word s whi ch tend to confuse communication.Therefore. i f you hear a word that sounds ou t of context to you.be sure to ask your Soviet counterpart exactly what s/he means by theword.

*** Soviets are "broad-context" communicators - Americans are "specif ic-context"communicators. Soviets tend to see an issue within the ent i re context.be i t h is to ry . cult ure . a l l extenuating factors - where th e individualissue may look insignificant by contrast . We. on the other hand.zero in on individual ~ s u e s ( true to our American t radit ion) anddissect them. independent of a larger framework. I t doesnDt takemuch ref lect ion to see how this difference creates' substant ia ldisagreements at many levels of communication.An instance - Soviets look at Eastern block countries from theirperspective of having been invaded through them for centur ies , havingfought against their troops in WWII, and conclude that these buffercountries were and are spoils of th e defeat and insurance that theywonDt be invaded again. We look at Hungary or Poland and see thef is t of an outside power imposed on an otherwise free people and quitenatural ly get out raged about i t .

*** Disarmanent issues bring up th e most di f f icu l t ~ o m m u n i c a t i o n s betweenSoviets and Americans.The Sov iets are frightened of war beyond our imagination. They havelived i t f i r s t hand. They know about the sound of enemy planesoverhead. their own homes going up in f ire , death by freezing, feedingtheir children ra ts , pets. and eventually l iving on boiled pieces ofleather and paste off of wallpaper. War is not history i t is a par tof their own memory.They make a pretty good case for having been only followers in thearms race - and doing that out of fear of "anti-communist" elementsin the West who wanted t bring th e Soviet system down.They point to the instances where the West in i t ia ted the next roundof weapons. I t is f ruit less to engage i n d is cu ss ion with themwithout a clear knowledge of th e facts - becau se they have their factstogether - and on several occasions i t has been embarrassing forAmericans who went into th e "ring" unprepared.They show with cons iderable pride th e details of the "unila tera lmoratoriam" that lasted over a year and half , the in i t ia t ives ofGorbachev in Ice lan d, and new c om mi tme nt s to ver i f iab i l i ty ofvarious aspects of weaponry and troop movemets .This is not an easy issue to converse with Soviets - part icularlywhen so many of ou r Nobel Laureate sc ien t is ts agree with theirbasic posture. For me, i t seems best to give our own personalposition and l is ten to theirs - without arguments. withoutchallanging. We donDt have a very strong leg to stand on here - andi t quickly reduces th e communication to an "US/THEM" standoff thatto date has never been productive. So one should proceed a t the i rown r isk. 27


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*** In general Soviets are inculturated not to "hang ou t th ei r d irty.l i nen" - even with each other. (It is akin to the upright family thatdoesnOt discuss Uncle Joeos alcoholism or grandmotheros youthfulindisgressions).Americans, on th e other hand, frequently feeldiscuss the most revealing personal detai ls .openness and bonding, we feel "getting i t outbest policy.

l iberated when they canIn the name of hones ty ,in the open" is th e

Problem: Americans admit to a l l their national weakness'es; andSoviets s i t there agreeing with them - and refuse to talk abouttheir own shortcomings.Next scenario: Americans get frustrated and angry because SovietsarenOt communicating with the candor. Americans begin to feel they haveput their countryOs weakness on line and feel like they have beent ra i tors . I f th e Soviets had done the same thing i t would have been okay.Next scenario: Members of American group get angry witheach other because one has been more "anti-American" than another - when intruth we communicated as we usually do - which is appropriate in ourcountry - but inappropriate with a group of Soviets - because of theirproclivi ty for si lence regarding weak spots.

*** Soviets know what kind of press ' they get in Western count r i es, Theyare portrayed as backward, cold, controlled Russian bears who are 'servants of the "State" and ou t to grab control of th e world forCommunLsm. They donOt see themselves this 'way, and each Americanaudience becomes an opportunity for them to explain that they are notwhat the world stereotype says they are. Since they donOt have muchpossibil i ty of traveling in large numbers, their only method ofsett ing their record s tra ig ht is to collar Americans and give themtheir side . If i t can be seen for what i t is - an attempt to showus what we havenOt had much information about - i t can be receiveas a part of our l earning experience.Frequently Americans turn a deaf ear at th e f i r s t mention of theirview of their society -. We dismiss i t a l l "as "party l ine" - insteadof taking i t seriously as an attempt to feel okay about themselvesin front of Americans who they think have everything in the world.

*** Even though many Sov iet s ar e fluent in English, there are words thatwe both use in common that have different shades of meanings.Frequently this confusion hampers communication.Exp. propoganda - Soviets use this word in a positive sense - . i t means

information, e.g. , "our medical propaganda."Americans use th e word in a negative sense todescribe a deceptive manner of writing.clever - - - - - Soviets mean "very smart, exceptionally bril l iant"with no negative connotation.Americans frequently mean smart but with a slick ordeceptive element to i t .

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WIIAX CAR WE ItAKE OF ALL THIS?

We cannot understand how they can live with the inability to leave theircountry or move to any city they choose, the inabili ty to dissent the Statepolicies, the extent ion of Soviet control i nto o ther count ri es , fighting a warin Afghanistan. silencing and exiling famous contributors to their society,alienating the Jews who want to emigrate, imposing Russian as offical languagein a world of 120 languages, labor camps. plus a string of abuses that haveoccurred under previous leadership. In addition. how can they sett le for smallapartments. few personal automobiles and no possibili ty of becoming wealthy.

On th e other hand. they cannot understand how we can live with crime in thestreets, bag ladies, unemployment. gays. pornography, child molestation.,teenage gang brutality. native American abuses. inequities with the blackpopulat ion, extension of our control into Central and South American countries,the military-industrial complex. plus a host of CIA abuses throughout the world.

We have different maladies in our two societ ies - and each society. no doubt,sees their own as fairly benign (and in the overall picture. acceptable). But weboth tend to damn the other fo r t he ir par ti cu la r problems.

BBGAIlDIBG QUESTIOBS

Do we ask questions sincerely for information?Or do we ask questions for the purpose of confrontation?Are our Sov iet contacts knowledgeable about the issues that are in our minds?Are knowledgeable about the issues that are in our minds?Are th e Soviets we talk with responsible for their governmentOs actions?Are we r espons ib le for our governmentOs actions? .

Any question can be asked if i t is couched i n a non-offensive manner anddoesnOt come from a base of wanting to corner the other person. For instance,I ~ O U know. we hear many stories 3bout Afghanistan. and our friends a re going toask what we found out when we ge t home. can you t e l l me what you know aboutwhat is going on in that country?" Our words and tone of voice will te l lwhether we are coming from a p lace o f genu inely wanting to bear what they haveto say.In a private home be particularly sensitive about third-degree questions. Wehave lost home possibilities because Americans grilled Soviet citizens aboutissues fo r which they didnOt have answers. One Soviet woman said, "DonOt bringany more Americans here. We opened up our home for conversat ion and friendship aDdfe l t we were being interrogated a ll evening."


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WHY DOES COMMUNICATION .BREAK DOWN BETWEEN AMERICANS AND SOVIETS EVENWHEN BOTH SIDES SINCERELY DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER?In an attempt to get behind the problem of conflictual communication,Americans and Soviets were interviewed. These interviews plus personalobservation of many encounters between A/S citizens, leads to someconclusions that may be helpful to those genuine ly desiring to getaround the r-oadul ocks ;Soviet citizens complaints about Americans1) You are totally insensitive to the history of our nation and our peopl2) Americans want to change us - we want to be accepted where we are.J) Americans are not well informed on history and ask questions that are

o hard to answer-:wi thout a history lesson.4) You have no concept of the Socialis t vision or dream . .5) You are not aware of the many distinctions in our society and see usas a monolithic society.6) YVu ridicule our shortages without understanding the reasons for them.7) Your country bears deep and heavy grudges against us - as evidenced bythe new missiles six minutes away from our .capital.8) I t is dif f icul t to break through your prejudices - you are convincedyou are r ight .9) You have a superficial knowledge of international affairs.American citizens comnlaints about Soviets1)2)J)4)5)6)7)

Soviets don't l is ten to us. They address us l ike a class ofsix-year-olds.Soviets never ask questions ~ us - unless they are designed to getadmissions that our country ~ wrong.Y9u are not interested in us --you think you know a l l about Americanl ~ f e ,- and you have no interest in additional information from us.Everyone in offic ia l meetings says the same thing - l ike a broken recoYou don't realize we Americans have very different mentalit ies regardiour governments policy.You won't become personal with us - always there is o ff ic ia l s ti ff ne ssYou are belligerent and confrontational in off icial meetings even. \ 0 - _\0. \"0 ...o"'e ; "" good''';l1".".,-..c... .- '" .. I' ... -.

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GIITS

There is l i t t le tipping in the USSR. Previously i t was frowned upon, bu t Ihave noticed official people tipping coat-check men and vomen lately, buti t is always a modest amount.People you meet in schools or apartments will want to give you a memento.Even people in the Metros occasionally have small pins, etc . , to give away.They are a giving society compared to the West. I t is not consideredpatronizing to give small "thank you" items - usually we feel ratheruncomfortable i f we donOt have something to give after visi t ing in anapartment.There is a certain etiquette about g1v1ng gifts in the USSR. There is NEVER ashow made of i t - quite the contrary - select an off moment in the kitchen orhall when others are not around and give in a quiet and loving manner. Officiousgiving has been embarrassing in the past. I have watched Soviets pass gifts ina personal way - and i t is charming and thoughtful. .Some "gift" suggestions that are easy to carry: bookmarks, postcards of yourcity or unique parts of your State, Childrenos art work, classic Americanbooks, (paperbacks ar e fine), good used books, posters, nail polish, perfumesamples, l ipst icks, ribbons and barrettes , handkerchiefs, scarves,costume jewelry, and handwork of any sort. Soviet women l ike to wear scarvesand colored hosiery.Former travelers have also taken small color ing books, crayons, yoyo s,frisbees, and miniature cars and trucks for chi ld ren. Childrenos books arefavorites. The way to a Russianos heart is through his/ber children.You need not spend a lot of money on these mementos . Look in your drawersfo r j ewel ry , sca rves , etc., that were gifts and bavenOt been used. Departmentstores are glad to give samples - and some have even donated costume jewelry,belts, etc. when told that the items were going to Russia.We want to avoidgracious guests.them in a fairlystyles.

looking l ike the rich cousins coming to vis i t - and s t i l l beI f you are taking pictures of your family, please photographneutral background that wonOt accentuate the difference in l i fe

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Some Doos and Don ts . . . . - . .Some young people are on the s treet looking fo r you - a ready source of 'western consumer goods. They are bold and entreupreneural - something likepesky mesquitoes. Their English is fair ly good and tbei r business is blackmarket. They want blue jeans, Hike shoes, or anything that is Americana.They also want to buy dollars for more than the legal exchange. Talk withthem, bu t DO NOT DEAL WITH THEM. I t is i l legal and more than one Americanhas been picked up by the KGB for trading with these kids. A number of timeswhen I have been stopped by them, I have replied "IOd l ike to talk with youbut I wont buy or sel l . Several times good conversations have ensued - onelasted for an entire evening.

DAVID ufJ\T/\A ( ; I "5tG::K. j '1.LLIN'15

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mil. . PQESltElVT

QjNTHACameras are fine but looking like a typical Westerner on vacation with allsorts of equipment dangling frgm the neck will no doubt get in your way withpeople. A small out-of-sight camera is bet ter . Photographs of railwaystations and airports are forbidden. Otherwise you can take pictures ofanything. Camera etiquit te is expected. If you are taking a close rangephoto of someone, ask thei r permission. They will understand i f you justpoint to them and to your camera. Usually they are glad to comply; ONe lastnote - Soviet cit izens donOt like pictures taken. of subjects that wouldembarrass _thei r country - such as people standing in lines or old houses inpoor repair .A Polaroid camera is worth i ts weight in gold i f you are prepared to leave th epictures in th e USSR. Truly wonderful exper iences with people have occurredwhen we took their childos picture and gave i t to them.Wear non -descr ip t p la in c lo th ing for best results with Sov ie t p eople . I tattracts l es s a tt en ti on in a country where consumer goods have been hard tocome by. Also you will be bothered less by the blackmarket kids.

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PRECADTIORSBlackmarket people w i l l i n t r o d u c e themselves in p.very c i t y . They a r echarming, speak e x c e l l e n t English and a r e worth g e t t i n g to know. Enjoyc o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h them but DO ROT SELL THEH ARYTHIRGI DO ROT s e l l yourc l o t h i n g as they love A m ~ r i c a n j e a n s , T s h i r t s and r un nin g s ho es , e t c . DOROT s e l l American d o l l a r s on t h e s t r e e t s . (Exchange you r money Q.!l.!:l. .i n ana u t h o r i z e d bank , h o t e l o r a i r po r t v) Our s e l l i n g t h i n g s to the S o v i e t s isagainst the law and f

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