RUSSIA OF TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

RUSSIA OF TO-DAY

TOURIST DIFFICULTIES

(By

J. R. Hanan—Copyright.)

(No. VH.) 1

After a while the conversation with my “comrades” began to fall flat, especially after I had tried to prove that the British Empire was a greater forte in the world for the advancement of civilisation and peace, than the Union of the Socialist Soviet Republic. In an endeavour to please and brighten my companions I put finger to my forehead and said enthusiastically “Stalin” (indicating that Stalin had brains). All said. “Da, Da with great excitement (“Da” in Russian means “Yes.”) One of them likewise said “Wells” and “Shaw.” Another added Shakespeare and Dickens. I was later informed that several of Dickens books had been translated in Russian and that the reading of them was encouraged. (Some Englishmen must be popular on the. Continent. In several bookshops in Berlin I noticed books entitled Oliver Cromwell prominently displayed. In the new railway station at Milan in Italy, there are several statues of great men associated with railways and railway engineering. One of them is a big statue of “Georges Stephenson.”) As I was about to turn in for the night a waiter entered’ the compartment. The three Russians bought themselves quan- • tities of beer and foodstuffs. I should not omit to say that, although an inclusive tour of the Soviet Union is comparatively cheap, anything outside the service contracted for is in general very expensive. This is because a tourist changing his money into Soviet currency, receives paper notes at the Gold Rouble rate of exchange. The official , rate of the don-Moscow exchange is about 5.65 roubles to the pound. Unofficial or illegal operators in exchange will give a tourist 50 or more roubles to the pound. (This is a risky business for the tourist when an agent from the O.G.RU. may be watching round the corner). The reader will appreciate that a good supper at say 2j paper roubles (really about Is) would have cost-me about. 10s. My companions desired to know why Iwbs not having supper. I took out a British box of matches, placed a penny on top of it and massacred the Russian word for England. , (I won’t attempt to spell it). On top of a Russian box of matches I placed five pennies and said “Tour-iste, Soviet.” They understood that it would be very expensive for me to buy supper, but could not see why this was so. I said “Tour-iste rouble,” and at the same time pointed to a gold filling in. one of my teeth. They evidently understood perfectly, for in a few seconds the. waiter had been recalled and had soon stocked up my little table with bottles of aerated water and sandwiches, all paid for by the friendly “proletarians.” After I climbed in bed one of theip placed my bag at my feet and after perusing the GermanEnglish dictionary, showed me the German word for. steal. He meant that the bag. would. z be safer where he had placed it, because someone during the night might enter the compartment. The’ nto Into Moscow was aisappointing, inasmuch as on both sides of the railway there were old buildings- and houses, the majority needing a coat of paint. Here and there new apartment houses brightened an ■otherwise drab panorama. On arrival at the station I was met by a guide and taken to the New Moscow' Hotel. This hotel is. one of the largest I have, ever been in. It has' over' 900 rooms. It is not new as its name would suggest. From my bedroom window I obtained an excellent view of the ancient Kremlin, the citadel of the early Moscow Tsars, but now the seat of the present Government. Red Square, which is about two minutes’ walk , from the hotel, is nearly half a mile long and about half as wide. From early morning the people had begun to- assemble in the Square for the funeral of Kirov. Kirov had been the fourth most important leader of the Communist party, and had been one of the important generals in the Red Army during the revolutionary period.' . I could see endless processions • of people pouring into Red Square, and nearly every person appeared to be carrying, a banner of some sort. I walked down to the edge of the Square and obtained a good view of the crowd. What a sea of. humanity—like an unbelievably huge ; swarm of ants—a sight I shall never' forget. The official figure given of those present was 1,200,000. I could see the leaders holding forth to the vast concourse. Stalin was -indicated to me—not- a big man, and very simply dressed —plain cap and overcoat buttoned to the neck. There were loud speakers in my vicinity, and Stalin appeared to be an arresting speaker.' /The crowd seomed to be very attentive to all the speakers. . • At about 2.30 the ceremony was over and the crowd began to disperse. From the window of my bedroom I was able to see the people coming out of one of the four entrances to Red Square. They were marching in places up to 25 abreast in fairly close formation, but many hours later their numbers had not been exhausted. Occasionally long streams of soldiers were to be seen. The thermometer outside the hotel had registered 23 degrees below zero. I have heard and read many varied reports of the conditions of the peasants and workers in Russia, the poverty of the people ot otherwise, etc., and very often, positive assertions that the people are oppressed and ruled by fear. It may well be that much of the adverse criticism is correct, but in order to be fair I feel bound to suggest that this great funeral is evide- that a considerable part of the workers stand solidly . behind their leaders, no doubt the result of effective propaganda. ■. ■■ At one end of Red Square stands , the beautiful church, the St. Basil. Tradition says that it was built by Ivan the Terrible, who, when it was completed, put out the eyes of the architect to ensure that he would not build another.As darkness fell I gazed across at the crenellated walls and fantastic coloured towers of the Kremlin, and as the last rays of the winter sun shone on the glorious golden domes of the St. Basil, S felt as if that georgeous panorama had dropped straight out of a fairy tale. (To be continued.)