Russian Tourists In Christchurch

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 7

Russian Tourists In Christchurch

Seventeen Russian tourists arrived in Christchurch yesterday to spend the last two days of a nine-day visit to New Zealand before returning home.

All are members of the U.S.S.R.-New Zealand Society, an organisation with about 600 members in Russia, and are making their first trip to New Zealand. To one, Professor Nikolai Shviman, of geographer, the tour is of particular interest as he has written a book on the physical geography of New Zealand.

The group leader, Mr Mstislav Almarzov, said the society drew its members from all walks of life. However, the members of this group were nearly all professional men so they would have something in common.

“Nine days is not long enough for this kind of tour,” he said. “When I return home I will recommend that future tours be longer, but expenses are quite high and we have to pay for ourselves. “If Air New Zealand is prepared to have lower fares we could stay longer.” No-one who wished to make the trip has been unable to come. The trip had been plan-

ned two month's in advance but, not having a New Zealand Embassy in Russia, it had taken a month to get visas through the British Embassy. Five members of the group speak English and at each centre interpreters have been provided. “In general we have been satisfied with the number of people in the same fields as ourselves that we have met,” said Mr Almarzov. “Nine days have not given us much opportunity, but I think everyone has seen things that are of interest.”

Mr Almarzov is a journalist, specialising in political and international affairs. The two physiologists and two physicians in the party inspected two Auckland hospitals and the economists were shown through a dairy factory at Masterton. The two geographers said they would like to spend a year in New Zealand.

Professor Brutian, a philosophy lecturer, gave a lecture at Victoria University in Wellington and Mr Bogoslovsky, a composer, met a group of Wellington musicians.