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REPORT ON TRIP TO RUSSIA:

December 15, 1991

 

FROM: John F. Sloan

 
 

DATE OF TRIP: 1 - 12 December 1991

 
 

PURPOSE: To complete plans for a military history tour of Russia, Estonia, and Ukraine for July 1992.

 
 

RECOMMENDATION:
The U.S. military should immediately begin as large a program of direct interaction with Russian (and other republic) military officers as possible. With the destruction of Marxism as a focal point and anchor for their world-view, self-view, and ethical system the Russian officer corps is now searching for a new personality and "soul". The US should do everything possible to direct this search toward a democratic basis favorable to future cooperation. There are strong, hyper-nationalist elements in Russian society similar to the National Socialists in Germany of the 1930's. If the officer corps becomes strongly influenced by and adheres to this kind of philosophy, we will have major trouble in future years.

 
 

INDIVIDUALS MET FOR DISCUSSIONS:
Colonel Yuri Babich, Frunze Academy
Colonel Vitali Leonov, Frunze Academy
Lt. Col Oleg Orekhov, Frunze Academy
Dr. Georgii Vadimovich Vilinbakhov, Curator, Hermitage Museum
Dr. Captain First Rank Viacheslav P. Zimonin, Vice chief, Institute of Military History of Ministry of Defense and two of his staff including
Dr. Capt. First Rank Valerii N. Vartanov, Military History Institute
Mr Valeri A. Kudashkin, historical editor, Orel
Mr. Voloyda Snitkovsky, military historian and editor
Dr. Lev Dvoretsky, Manager, Military-Economic Publications, AMSCORT International
Mr. Vladimir Stepashkin, Director of Tourism, ASK TOURS, Moscow
Mr Roman Vartanov, Deputy General Manager for Tourism, Soviet Culture Fund, St. Petersburg
Mr Valentin N. Navara, Chief Dept of Guide Interpreters, Soviet Cultural Foundations
Mrs Vera P. Novoselova, Director for Tourism, INCOMART, Kiev, Ukraine

 
 

LOCATIONS VISITED:
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Narva, Pskov, Pskovo-Pechorskii Monastery, Zagorsk.

 
 

ITINERARY:
1 December - fly from Dulles Airport
2 December - arrive in Moscow 3 PM via Frankfurt
3 December - discussion at ASK tours on history tour for July 1991
4 December - AM meeting Frunze Academy military history professors
4 December - PM meeting at Military History Institute with faculty and tour of institute and its library.
5 December - visit Zagorsk, check out hotel facilities etc.
5 December - night train to St. Petersburg
6 December - met at train, immediate visit to Artillery, Engineer, and Signal troops Museum, then visits to Naval Museum, and Suvorov Museum
7 December - Tour to Vyborg via the Mannerheim line fortifications and front lines of Russian and Finnish forces in Winter War and World War II
8 December - Trip by bus to Pskov via Narva, Ivangorod, and Kopor'ye
9 December - Tour Pskov, Izborsk, and Pechora Monastery, then drive back to St. Petersburg late at night
10 December - visit non-public areas of Hermitage, discussion with curator - visit artist's studio - visit with Russian military historians - then night train back to Moscow
11 December - Further discussion with officers from Frunze Academy and ASK tour agents
11 December PM dinner with Dr. Lev Dvoretsky and Dr. Bryan Fugate
12 December - 6 AM flight return to USA.

 
 

SUBSTANCE OF MAIN DISCUSSIONS:
The overwhelming impression is that the Russian military historians are eager (even desperate) for increased and widespread contacts with Americans. They are anxious to have their work published in English and ready to cooperate in any possible way with American military historians on new research projects.

 
 

The Frunze Academy
- the department of the history of military art headed by Dr Richard Mikhailovich Portugalski - will provide serving officer historians as guides/ lecturers for a professional-level, military history tour to battlefields and fortresses in the Moscow - Smolensk - Tula - Vladimir region. These are the officers who conduct "staff rides" for the Frunze Academy student body. They want to contribute to western military history journals and are prepared to author books on Russian military history for publication in the US. They were a bit skeptical at first that the professional level of the American visitors would be up to the kind of program they conduct, but I showed them the names of some of the potential participants and they brightened up immediately. All three officers are clearly very professional, but extremely warm and friendly in their attitude and approach.

 
 

The Military History Institute
- The deputy director, Captain First Rank Viacheslav Zimonin, indicated that the Institute is in somewhat hard times, financially, being expected to pay its way by the Ministry of Defense. This is an added incentive they have for establishing contacts with Americans that they perceive might bring them opportunities to make a little money through research, publication and cooperation. His staff officers indicated that they would love to have someone come to an American military history meeting and present a paper. They specifically mentioned that one of the Institute members is an expert and has written already on Soviet amphibious and joint operations in World War II on the invasion of Sakhalin and the Kurilies. However, they lack funds to support such a trip. The deputy director indicated that, if they received some kind of invitation through the Ministry of Defense, they probably could manage to get an Aeroflot ticket. Some US host would have to help cover the living expenses of the Russian visitor during the conference.
They indicated that they would welcome the idea of a substantive meeting at which short papers were presented during the July tour.
The Military History Institute will serve as a focal point for requests from American historians for access to the various Russian history archives. They indicated that access will become wider than ever. They are prepared to provide me with a written letter granting access to participants in the July tour. When I mentioned that I am on the editorial board of an encyclopedia of the VietNam War, they jumped in to say that they were eager to open the Russian archives on Soviet participation in that war and one officer indicated that his research indicates that there is a lot in the archives of interest on that subject.
They gave me a long tour of the Institute library to show books on early Russian military history. They prepared a list of available books on Russian military history from 1300 to 1800, and one on the history of Russian fortifications, at my previous request. They would like to earn some money by making Xerox copies of these. Some are probably rare enough to warrant copying, but many are modern and most likely available in the West already.

 
 

The Artillery, Engineer, and Signal Troops Museum in St. Petersburg:
This is an incredible place, it has got to be the largest military museum in the world, with 16 km of exhibit halls and 3 million items in the collection. Sadly, the overall impression is of piles of diamonds scattered about in a coal mine. The contents are priceless treasures, but the building is falling apart. The deputy director personally took me on a two-hour, whirlwind tour through so many locked doors into restricted areas that I was reeling from the experience. In each department the curators were standing at attention with eager speeches about their pride and joy. All were so excited at the opportunity to show off that it was clear they all work there out of love of their art. Mention by my friend of the pauper-level salaries they receive confirmed this impression.
The Museum title is something of a misnomer since it contains all manner of militaria from thousands of rare books and manuscripts, to the world's largest collection of orders and decorations, to medieval arms and armor, to original uniforms, to artistic designed small arms. Among the small arms are the beautiful hunting rifles and shotguns of Brezhnev, Grechko, and Akromeyev. Original materials include the personal belongings of Kutuzov and other Russian commanders. Of course the artillery pieces, engineer equipment, and signal equipment are there in the thousands as well. In fact late medieval, iron cannon barrels are stacked like firewood. There are dioramas, models, and paintings to illustrate the historical development of all three arms. The court yard is filled with large artillery pieces and there are more, including real SSM, inside as well.
The museum staff is eager to open the collections to researchers and to expand their publication programs. At a meeting in his office after the tour, the deputy director offered virtually carte blanc access and to support whatever substantive research programs I might require.

 
 

The Hermitage:
The military side of the Hermitage collections is not so well known and a lot of it is not open to the public. The curator, Georgii V. Vilinbakhov, took me behind the scenes into numerous sealed and alarmed rooms. I saw a tiny part of the museum's 6,000 military flags and standards dating to the 17th century. There are galleries devoted to portraits of Russian military commanders. The Imperial family, especially some of the grand dukes who were themselves commanders of the army, were avid collectors of militaria. Dr. Vilinbakhov presented me with an album of Russian military music from 1812, played on original instruments and transcribed from old recordings made prior to 1914. He is an avid student of the Napoleonic era and supports the expanding Russian interest in reenactment societies and military miniature painting. Again, the discussion centered on what more possibly could the Russian historians do for us. Dr. Vilinbakhov is on the editorial board of a new military history journal and provided sample copies.

 
 

IMPRESSIONS OF CURRENT LIFE:
Since the purpose of the visit was meetings with military historians and visits to the historical locations for the summer tour, I did not have a spare moment for general sightseeing or wandering in the cities during the entire 10 days. However, in the course of the trip I did visit several stores and of course ate in a number of restaurants. Naturally the major restaurants in the large hotels were looking prosperous and doing a booming business, mostly with tourists at high prices. We ate many meals in regular Russian restaurants including in such places and Pskov, Zagorsk, and Vyborg. There too the food was plentiful and good and for very reasonable prices. This is because restaurants have connections with their suppliers. The places were crowded with local Russians dancing to live bands. I did not go into any food stores, but walked or drove by many, each with its long lines of customers standing in the snow. The ordinary Russians are faced with empty shelves and counters. One way they are coping is by organizing cooperation among neighbors. In this way each might obtain a supply of one item and then trade it around among the group. In one general merchandise store I found quite a variety and quantity of women's clothing. In another there was only a pitifully sparse quantity of hardware, toys, stationary, and radio parts.
The most disturbing observation during the trip was the recognition that some kind of Mafia is clearly in charge of access to the (some?) tourist hotels, especially in St. Petersburg. When I pointed out my observation to my Russian friends, they acknowledged the fact but indicated there was no one in government in charge who could do anything about it. Most likely enough government officials are being paid off that an investigation would be squashed. The profits are undoubtedly immense and will be used to fuel access into control of other commercial ventures.
Traffic on the city streets was in a huge jam, quite different from the empty streets I remember from 1964. However, there were long lines at the gas stations. In the Pskov region many gas stations were out of fuel and there were very long lines of heavy trucks and busses waiting for the next delivery. We traveled in a diesel vehicle with several extra fuel cans and managed to make it to Pskov and back. There was some diesel fuel at stations that were out of gasoline. The condition of the streets is even worse than Washington DC.
The night trains from Moscow to St. Petersburg and back were quite an experience. I paid the INTOURIST set fare of $35.00 each way and obtained thereby a ticket in advance from the agent for a bunk in a two-bunk sleeping compartment. The Russians, by standing in line at the station, could obtain a ticket to a four-person compartment for about $6.00. My compartment companion on the trip north was a senior scientist, Geologist, Member of the Academy of Sciences. He commented that since Aeroflot only accepts payment in hard currency even on domestic flights, it was impossible even for him to obtain a ticket. In fact he said he was lucky to get the INTOURIST controlled ticket to the two-person compartment instead of the four-person one. On the return trip my companion was a Indian business man who established a joint venture to run Indian restaurants in St. Petersburg and Moscow two years ago. He said he is doing very well.
I visited two Russian friends in their apartments in St. Petersburg and Moscow. These are small, single room affairs with shared bath and kitchens. The buildings are falling apart. Yet the Russians are cheerful and quite optimistic about the future.
We visited one extraordinarily talented artist in his studio on an upper floor of the Admiralty complex. While the building facade on the Neva appears gorgeous, the inner courtyard is a pile of debris and crumbling masonry. The ancient staircase was coming apart along with the ceilings and walls. My guide, a very cultured man from the Hermitage, remarked that I was seeing the St. Petersburg of Dostoyevsky.
Crossing the border into Estonia at Narva was an interesting experience. The Russian side was manned by a small group of indifferent fellows who were waving people through in each direction. On the Estonian side of the Narvona River things were quite different. A large gang of recruited young, motorcycle-gang-member types was lording it over all passersby, checking vehicle trunks carefully, ostentatiously checking passports, and acting generally like they wanted all to know who is now in charge. I was told that come January they are going to impose a 500 ruble entrance fee and a 200 ruble exit fee for the privilege of seeing Estonia. Conditions in the Estonian housing areas were exactly like in Russia. BAD.
Everyone was quite happy about the new confederation of Ukraine, Byelorussia, and Russia announced on Sunday. They all evaluated Gorbachev favorably for his initial beginning of the revolution, but faulted him for not being able to keep up with the times and needs of the people. They said it was time for him to go. Several friends indicated they were quite apprehensive during the coup attempt in August, but felt that now there would be no possibility of a repeat attempt.
According to my friends, the Kazan Tatars have declared the annexation of Kazan in 1556 to be "illegal". The Russians think this is some kind of joke. They seem to feel there will be no problems between Russians and Ukrainians.
"Joint ventures" are proliferating. Moscow was full of Germans and the Japanese were quite in evidence as well. In St. Petersburg the Scandinavians were having a great holiday taking advantage of the incredible shopping bargains the fall of the ruble had generated. Among the great paradoxes is the split in prices. Items produced by the state and sold in state stores, particularly printed matter, are sold for pennies. Workers in the Russian economy are paid pennies as well. But those who have managed to gain access to the tourist trade or to some kind of work that can be exported for hard currency are already quoting their prices at Western market levels.

 
 

DIARY OF DAILY ACTIVITIES:

 
 

1 December:
Left Dulles in the evening on an excellent Lufthansa flight. The Frankfurt airport on morning of 2 December was greatly overcrowded and unpleasant.
2 December:
- Arrived at Sheremetov II, Moscow around 3 PM in light rain. The departure/arrival area was deserted and dark, but there was a large crowd outside the customs area waiting for incoming passengers. Passing through passport control and customs took over an hour, despite the greatly reduced attention to examining luggage. I was met by tour agency interpreter and driver and by my American friend currently attending school in Moscow. The drive downtown in the darkness was in very heavy traffic over deteriorating streets. I observed large crowds waiting for and on numerous buses. Since there is no evident parking place around most of the large apartment complexes, it is an immediate question who owns all the cars.
The Salut hotel is in the southwestern outskirts. A major secured compound with impressively large building was readily visible from my window. The hotel seems to cater to German and Middle Eastern business people, students and tourists. There were also quite a few Asiatics in evidence. The restaurant is large, with at least four dining rooms. Meals were excellent. The hotel has its own hired guard force that is quite active in checking ID of people who enter.
The exchange rate for the ruble changed on the first day from 47 to 90 to 1 for the dollar. This caused the exchange office to close for the next four days due to lack of rubles.

 
 

3 December:
The meeting all day at ASK tours went very well. Lunch was at the Sofia restaurant, which is excellent. The ASK tour agency is a "joint venture" with Japanese participants, involved in a wide variety of enterprises including a major project in support of children's hospitals.

 
 

4 December:
In the morning three colonels from the Frunze Academy came to the ASK tour offices to discuss their participation in the July tour. They considered the itinerary I proposed carefully and offered many valuable suggestions. They were prepared with maps and information about the regions to be visited. Lunch was again at the excellent Sofia restaurant. Despite the fact that the restaurant was less than half full, the doormen would not allow a large crowd of Russians to enter, but apparently were reserving their food supply for special customers and guests.
In the afternoon we visited the Military History Institute and were greeted very warmly with the usual Russian presents of pins and mementos. The library is large, but not extraordinarily so or extra impressive. A visit into the stacks revealed some shelves of 19th century military books. But I understand the library of the Voroshilov Academy is larger.
In the evening we visited the open air market on the Arbat. For all its fame, I think it is overrated. Of course, in a freezing snowfall one is not likely to find throngs of buyers or sellers on a dark night. It amounts to a couple of blocks of pedestrian mall closed to vehicles. All the goods for sale at the small tables are for tourists. Prices reflect that fact, but with the sudden drop in value of the ruble, there were still good bargains. A small flashlight proved indispensable for examining the wares. Better bargains were available in the bookstores adjacent to the mall.

 
 

5 December:
The day began with a very long drive in light snow fall to the famous monastery at Zagorsk. It was worth the trip. We observed Orthodox services being conducted in several churches and then toured an excellent museum to Renaissance period Russian religious art, mostly the gifts of various Tsars from Ivan IV to Alexis Michailovich and their wives. The church services were impressive for the crowd of people in attendance. More time was spent examining the impressive fortifications constructed by Ivan IV. The main walls are 1021 meters long and 10-12 meters high and 6-8 meters thick. There are 12 towers including the 4 main watchtowers on the corners. There are 1100 embrasures for firearms of various sizes. These served well when the Polish army of 17,000 besieged to fortress in 1608 and again in 1618. In 1608 2,400 defenders successfully held out for 16 months. A fine late-lunch was served in the local hotel, which we inspected for its suitability for the July trip. It is definitely Spartan, but no doubt the best available in this region. With darkness by 3 PM there was not much time for sightseeing. The drive back to Moscow was uneventful. Dinner at the hotel was followed by transfer to the train station for the midnight train to St. Petersburg. The station was crowded with Russians trying to secure places. Apparently tickets are in short supply. The sleeper compartment was quite comfortable and warm, but the toilet was impossible. The car attendant charges 5 rubles for the linen (sheets and washcloth). Hot water to make tea is available. Experienced travelers bring their tea bags and snacks. The train ride was reasonably smooth, but apparently the train was not as high a priority one as advertised, because it was stopped frequently to allow other trains to proceed. The result was arrival in St. Petersburg 2.5 hours late. This not only inconvenienced the delegation waiting for me, but also eliminated the morning program they had planned.

 
 

6 December:
With arrival delayed to nearly noon a quick lunch at the hotel was followed by an immediate visit to the Artillery Museum, located in the hornwork of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Nearly three hours of guided exploration of its vast treasure halls left me exhausted mentally as well as physically. Something should be done to bring this wealth of resources to the attention of history scholars and the public at large. I hope to find some financial support to mount a traveling exhibition showing "800 years of Russian military history" for the American public.
There was no time to view the Peter and Paul Fortress itself. The naval museum is much smaller, but still magnificent. Its displays are in even better condition for public viewing. Next on the schedule was a brief tour of the Suvorov Museum. Here the extremely ernest young guide recited enough detail and trivia about Suvorov to fill a book. With a salary of 100 rubles ($1.10) a month he certainly earns his pay.
The Hotel Leningrad is much superior to the Salut in Moscow. The restaurant likewise is outstanding. Unfortunately it is somewhat disconcerting to observe how the Mafia has taken over practical control (see above).

 
 

7 December:
Pearl Harbor day was spent on a long drive to Vyborg and back. Our young guide from the Suvorov Museum is also an exceptional expert on the Winter War and World War II on the Russo-Finnish Front. Immediately north of St. Petersburg we passed Sestroretsk, built as an arms factory by Peter I. Here the famous designer, Mosin, built his model 1890 rifle. Next on the right is a monument to the defenders of Leningrad during WWII. We drove over many back roads (and in Russia even the main highways are questionable) in order to see particular sections of the fortified positions occupied by the Russians or Finns during various phases of the two wars. We stopped on one deserted stretch in order to walk through the woods (at -10 degrees in the snowfall) to climb about in destroyed Mannerheim line pillboxes and entrenchments. Most interesting and worthwhile. The road also passed by Zelenogorsk, Peter the Great's settlement of Ukrainians ordered to produce charcoal for the arms factories.
Vyborg itself is a medieval town that developed around a Swedish castle built in 1293. The Novgorodians immediately besieged the place in 1294, unsuccessfully. Ivan III took the fortress and town by siege in 1495, but it was lost again. It was again besieged, by Ivan VI, in 1556 and by Peter I in 1706 and 1710. The castle is quite impressive and contains two nice museums. In one there was a temporary exhibition of paintings of Repnin. The other houses a permanent exhibit tracing the history of the city and its sieges and local warfare. There are remanents also of the medieval city wall as well as the 18th century bastions constructed on order of Empress Anna Ivanova after 1731. The waterfront appeared quite busy with export of forest products the major activity.
Apparently the Finns were celebrating the anniversary of their own independence by partying in Vyborg. Numerous bus loads of Finns filled most of the restaurants and the better stores. Still our Russian guides from St. Petersburg took advantage of the occasion to buy quite a few items not available at home.

 
 

8 December:
We left the hotel by small diesel bus early and stopped for breakfast at a large hotel on the southern outskirts of St. Petersburg. Evidently this hotel caters to Scandinavians as it was packed and the breakfast menu in the fine restaurant consisted of a Scandinavian style smorgasbord. The Russian guides indicated that the Swedes enjoy a winter holiday by visiting St. Petersburg for the bargain hunting. The trip continued past the Russian and German front lines from World War II in the southern suburbs. We used the occasion for a general discussion of the siege during WWII and examined local maps to trace the lines. ALL the local guides and my friends there had lost fathers and or other relatives during the war.
The defense of the western approaches to Leningrad was a combined operation of the Soviet Army and Navy. The Navy, although bottled up in the Gulf of Finland, was able to employ its guns in support of the ground forces holding the piece of southern coastline that prevented the Germans from reaching Leningrad in that sector.
Traveling by back roads along the Baltic coast we came to the ruins of the Novgorodian fortress at Kopor'ye, built in the 12th century. This was their main defensive position to hold the coast line and a very large interior region against Swedish and Livonian attackers. It was located about midway between the northern forts on the Neva and Lake Ladoga (Orshek and Starya Ladoga) and the western forts on the Luga area (Yam). The ruins are impressive. The fortress was built on an excellent tactical site, a narrow neck of land between two steep ravines. A site difficult to find in this flat region. The base of the neck was cut to form a moat. Despite the cold and snowstorm we managed to climb into several round towers and evaluate the fields of fire from the walls.
We soon crossed the Luga River, another front line during the first months of the war. The heroic defense of the Luga line during August gave the citizens of Leningrad time to construct the more extensive field fortifications to the rear that eventually held the Germans over the winter of 1941-42. Unfortunately the Soviet commander in the Baltic district, who led the defense of the Luga line was nevertheless executed by Stalin as a scapegoat.
Next stop was the massive fortress constructed by Ivan III on a high bluff of the Navrona River opposite the Swedish fortress at Narva. The walls are very high and the towers circular. Clearly the revolution in fortifications that took place in Italy and France shortly afterwards did not have any influence on its construction or result in later changes. There are a few casemented embrasures for cannon low down, in a outwork that covers the river. Otherwise, the embrasures along the high parapet clearly could not accommodate more than the smallest caliber cannon or small arms. The fortress is, nevertheless, very imposing and impressive in appearance.
The crossing into Estonia is discussed above. Narva is a pleasant town with the typical extensive housing development spread to the northern and western suburbs. The city was practically completely destroyed during World War II, so the majority of the buildings date since 1945. However the main medieval stronghold of the Teutonic Knights and then Swedish governor survived the war intact. This is the famous "High Herman" central keep, a massive square tower with tent shaped top. It is located on the very edge of the precipice along the Navrona River. The castle consisted of this tower plus a rectangular courtyard whose outer walls also remain in good condition. The Swedes added new bastioned walls of West European type in the 1600's but it was too dark for us to inspect them. The city is most famous in Russian history for the two sieges by Peter I during the Great Northern War, 1700 and 1704. These events and many others are well displayed in the castle museum. Among the artifacts on display are a well-preserved kol'chuga and replicas of regimental standards. There was also a visiting Swedish exhibition of original manuscripts and maps relating to the city dating from the 15th to 18th centuries.
The local restaurant is nice with the usual Russian four-course meal.
From Narva to Pskov was a five-hour drive down the eastern (Russian) side of Lake Chud in a snowstorm over third-class roads. Arrival at 9PM was greeted with much relief, since we had found the local gas stations along the route empty and had dipped into our cans of reserve diesel fuel.
The hotel in Pskov is clearly not on the usual tourist itinerary, but it is adequate for tired travelers. The attached restaurant was jammed with Russians on a night out, dancing to a four-piece combo. Again, the food was excellent and plentiful.

 
 

9 December:
I watched from the hotel window as hundreds of Russians trudged through the snowstorm to work in the darkness at 7-8AM. One has to visit Russia in the winter to appreciate the struggle the Russians go through just to conduct daily living. It makes for a hardy and tough race. During the morning we visited the old town, the most powerful fortress in northwestern Russia. These walls successfully held out the Polish army of Stephan Bathory for over a year in the 1580's. The towers are typically round with conical tent hats. The cathedral of the Trinity inside the old fortifications is functioning and a service was in progress during our visit.
After driving around the city, we drove west to the Pskovian frontier fortress at Izborsk. The ruin lies on a high bluff amid the modest cottages of modern collective farmers and artisans. It houses a small, but interesting, archeological exhibit with artifacts dating to the early iron age.
From Izborsk we drove further northwest toward Estonia to the fairy-tale Pskovaya-Pechoriski Monastery. This was the visual highlight of the trip. Like nearly all the monasteries in 14th - 17th century Russia, this one served also as a powerful fortress. But among fortresses it may be unique in that it is located around a deep depression instead of on a hill. When one approaches from the outside one sees the typical impressive, powerful walls and towers. It is only after passing through an entrance gate than one sees the splendor of the golden domes and blue cupolas of the many churches, chapels, and monastic buildings laid out in a small valley inside the encircling fortifications. The monastery developed from a group of monks who began living in the caves in the side of the ravine centuries before. After living at the constant cave temperature of 41o for twenty years or so the monk's bodies adjust so that they are preserved after death. An estimated 10,000 are buried here. Since the monastery has remained fully functional throughout the Soviet period, much of it, where the monks are living and praying, is off limits to outsiders.
We visited an hardware and general merchandise store in the town near Pechora Monastery. What a pathetic sight. The hopeful shoppers outnumbered the goods for sale. I bought a few toy soldiers and some well-made toy cannon. At the price asked (.06) I could have bought all the cannon in the store, but I decided to leave some for the local children. We then drove back to Pskov for some further shopping. Only the clothing stores appeared to have reasonable quantities of goods available. During the return trip to St. Petersburg along the main highway we passed more gas stations apparently without fuel supplies.

 
 

10 December:
We visited the Hermitage and were taken by a curator on a special tour through non-public areas. The collection of military standards and flags is amazing, but leaves one wondering how such riches might be put to some use. Right now they are standing in silent rows in darkened vaults.
The more one explores behind the magnificent facade of the palaces and other buildings along the Neva and many canals the more one sees the ravages of the climate, swampy terrain, and financial shortages at work. St. Petersburg is suffering from the same kind of architectural collapse one reads about with respect to Venice.
The evening was spent at a Russian's apartment among a group of military historians, photographers, computer specialists etc. They are anxious to produce books that will sell in the West, but have no idea about the realities of publishing and book distribution in a capitalist economy. Book production is one of the industries most distorted under the Communist state, in which the authorities decided what should be read and provided it at hugely subsidized prices. A system in which the consumer is king instead of the producer is difficult for some Russians to grasp as yet. No doubt the materials for many excellent, interesting, and educational books are here. The question is how to get it to the reading public at a price that will not only encourage the reader to buy but also provide a profit incentive for the book sellers and distributors to handle the products. That book stores take 45% of the sale price of books just to handle them, seems inconceivable to my Russian acquaintances.
The discussion lasted long over-time resulting in a rush back to the hotel by rickety taxi. The hosts had a extra sumptuous banquet prepared, complete with the many rounds of toasts. This was followed by a hectic rush to check out of the hotel and make the midnight train to Moscow. All appeared to go well, as I was bundled into the sleeper compartment along with my heavy luggage.
It was only on the next morning (11 Dec.) as I prepared to meet the reception party in Moscow, that I discovered that I had left my passport at the requiored reception desk, at the hotel in St. Petersburg. What a disaster. Without a passport one cannot even check into a hotel in Russia. The result was that I had to hole up at the ASK tour office all day and skip the nap I so badly wanted prior to boarding the Lufthansa flight at 6AM on the 12th. I was thinking up all sorts of schemes to pay someone to courier the passport to the airport in St. Petersburg and by air to Moscow. However, my wonderful guide in St. Petersburg merely picked up the passport himself, rode the train all day to Moscow, delivered the precious document to me personally at 9PM, and then turned around to ride the train all night back to St. Petersburg. He would not accept a penny for his trouble.

 
 

11 December:
The day was spent at ASK tours for the reason mentioned above. The three colonels from the Frunze Academy duly showed up to describe the planning they had made for the July trip as a result of our previous meeting. Someone told them why I looked so disheveled. They thought it was hilarious and promised not to report me to the KGB. They had prepared a lot of excellent ideas to make the tour exceptional. Then I was completely stunned by their expression of eagerness to contribute to the military history magazine I (occasionally) publish. They presented me with a copy of their, much superior, history journal. We now hope to produce an English language version for sales in the United States and Great Britain.
Lunch at the Sofia restaurant was again superior. I wonder what the Russians think about standing in the cold and being refused admittance to their own restaurants while foreigners are ceremoniously ushered right in.
There was time in the early evening for a brief shopping trip to the Arbat. After that we drove around the city, went through the Novodivechi Convent grounds and wound up with a brief tour of the Kremlin Cathedrals. Shopping showed that books in the government stores cost about 10-25% of the cost in a new, private enterprise bookstore, but even there they are a bargain compared to the US.
One of my close friends, Dr. Bryan Fugate, author of an important book on Operation Barbarossa, arrived in Russia on the 11th to begin new research for a second edition of his book. By prior arrangement I met him and his host, Dr. Lev Dvoretsky, at a very fancy restaurant at 1900. Apparently some kind soul recommended this place to Fugate, while he was in the US. When he invited the Russians to dinner, they thought he knew where he was taking them. We had a very enjoyable dinner, but the quantity and quality of the food was not as good as at several of the ordinary Russian restaurants my hosts had shown me. Well, the bill for five people came to $345.00. Fugate and I were stunned and the Russians noticed the shock. When they realized Fugate had not known the nature of the restaurant, they apologized profusely and said that, had they known, they would have taken him to a good quality but normal place. This just shows the situation that is prevalent in Russia with the dual internal and Western price structure. Taxicabs allowed to pick up western passengers at a hotel charge $10.00 for a trip costing a Russian under .50. Another example, when I arrived at St. Petersburg train station from Moscow, my hosts chided me for tipping too much when I gave the porter 5 rubles ( ie. .05 cents). But when I returned to Moscow, I made the mistake of speaking too loudly in English with my reception party. The result was that the porter insisted on payment of $2.00.
The discussion at dinner with Dr. Dvoretsky centered on the Russian economy and its future prospects. He emphasized that the greatest problem and shortcoming is the lack of capital to fund the many bright, new, entrepreneurial activities. Considering that under capitalization is one of the chief causes of failure of small business in the US, I think he has a good point. In addition we agreed that the age-old, and still endemic, atmosphere of VLAST, ie power, for its own sake would inhibit the development of a truly free market. We also noted that under the Soviet regime ideas of efficiency resulted in production of many goods for the entire USSR being concentrated in one or a few factories in one republic. In this situation merely converting such production facilities into private hands would only create private monopolies that will be bound to exercise all the advantages they can get from monopolistic exploitation. Dr. Dvoretsky agreed that the distribution system, especially for food, was organized under communism purposely to enable people to have positions of power. But creating an entirely new food distribution system consistent with free markets will be a tremendously complex undertaking.
It being too late to go to the hotel, where a room was already paid for, I visited my host's tiny apartment and had a brief nap until we started for the airport at 3AM.
This report contains only the highlights of my recollections from a marvelous but exhausting ten days in Russia. It cannot convey the depth of friendship my Russian hosts displayed throughout. The Russians have shown they are prepared to do everything possible to show their country and tell their history to Americans. Now it is up to me to convince some Americans that they ought to go and see for themselves.