Posted Living in a Time of Shortages.
Category: Russia
Living in a Time of Shortages
It was the summer of 1975. I was standing in a GUM department store in Moscow, Russia, wondering why these people were standing patiently in a long line. I walked to the front of the line to see what was going on. A supply of disposable ballpoint pens had recently arrived. The people were lining… Continue reading Living in a Time of Shortages
Russia in Minneapolis
A strange thing happened as I was jogging around a lake a few days before the 2016 US presidential election. In my November 1, 2016 post I wrote: A diminutive older woman was trying to catch my attention. She announced proudly in a Russian accent that she was voting for the Republican candidate for President. “Very… Continue reading Russia in Minneapolis
Jamie on a Bed in Leningrad
Posted Jamie on a Bed in Leningrad.
Jamie on a Bed in Leningrad
August 1975. Four young women sit on a bed in a budget hotel in Leningrad (today’s St. Petersburg). Three of the women appear to be intent on listening to someone in the room, off-camera. But one is staring straight at me, mugging, as I snap a Kodachrome. This is Jamie, the embodiment of all my… Continue reading Jamie on a Bed in Leningrad
Portnoy’s Complaint in Moscow
Posted Portnoy’s Complaint in Moscow.
Portnoy’s Complaint in Moscow
It’s the summer of 1975. My brother and I are wandering around Moscow. A young Russian man comes up to us and starts a conversation. Once a certain level of trust is achieved, he brings up the subject of books banned in the USSR. “Would you mail me a copy of Portnoy’s Complaint?” he asks.… Continue reading Portnoy’s Complaint in Moscow