WINTER IN MOSCOW

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1942, Page 7

WINTER IN MOSCOW

Snow has fallen in the streets. It is freezing and people move about briskly to keep warm. In the mornings the janitors of buildings clear the snow from the pavements and sprinkle them with ashes and sand. Motor snow-cleaners rumble by, clearing the thoroughfares for the traffic.

The shops are doing a roaring trade. There are sufficient quantities of rationed meat, sausage, fish, sugar, coffee 'and confectionery. Bread, either rye or white, is unrationed and there is plenty of it. Linen, footwear, furniture, household utensils are all plentiful. There is a shortage of tobacco because the needs of the Army at the front are being met first, but a moderate smoker can get all he wants.

Theatres and cinemas are work as usual. Most of the cinemas at the moment are showing “Swineherd and Shepherd.” The front line newsreels are the most popular of all. The short film depicting the defence of London during the blitz ran for several weeks.

Moscow theatres are not playing as frequently as they did. But Stanislavsky’s Theatre and the Children’s Theatre perform daily. The circus is in town, with a colourful new programme which includes a dashing rodeo.

In the streets one meets detachments of the Red Army everywhere. Smartly and warmly clad, they march along with measured tread, healthy and smiling faces, singingarmy songs. The fine powdery snow covers their fur caps and shoulders as they march along.

Long columns of workers go by on their way to the fortifications works. Thousands who have worked a whole week at the bench, on their free day voluntarily hurry to work on the defences of the city. All are smiling. They joke among themselves, just as' they did a few days ago when they marched to the Red Square to celebrate the anniversary of the Revolution

At the end of thoroughfares and highways, are strong barricades with anti-tank obstructions. People stop to watch the progress of the defences and discuss, with the air of experts, the work done.