The blend of elegance, irony, and quiet tension in your encounters with your father, friends, and officials makes the narrative both deeply personal and historically insightful. I was especially moved by the moment you finally called him “papa,” and that poignant hand-kiss farewell on the lift. Thank you for sharing such a rich and evocative piece of history.
Oh, Larisa, this chapter is especially interesting to me because of the mention of Ira and Alpha. At the same time, it was a little sad to read about your last meeting with your father. But it's good that you grew closer to each other before that moment.
Your observations such as the following are very interesting to me: “Our bluff was successful, though the feeling that only foreigners felt free in our ‘proud’ Soviet country was rather unpleasant.” Also when you are unsettled by seeing all the families refused a permit to Leningrad, knowing it was just your father’s powerful position which enabled you to get it, seeing the scales were weighted and the reality was unfair despite all the utopian and lofty language about equality.
Oh, I think you may have confused me with another David. I never lived in Odessa. I visited Pyatigorsk in around 1998 or so for nine weeks and that is the extent of my experience in Russia, other than through literature. (Right now I am reading Maxim Gorky’s My Childhood).
Oh, David, I did. Sorry for that. Yes, I remember now, I wrote about Lermontov for you. Still, hadn't you had the same impression as a foreigner that life is hard for people there?
Yes, it did seem hard though I liked the people I met there very much, mainly students from the university or institute. The trams were very full. Many were poor. As a foreigner it did seem like I had more freedom.
Thank you, David, for your reaction. Hadn't you had the same reaction, living in Odessa for a while? Do you think any of the Soviets had the privilege to come to the Opera Theater, get acquainted with the singers, and write a thesis about theater? Didn't life seem easier for you than for regular Soviet citizens? I would be very interested in your impression of life in the Soviet Union. Why don't you write about it?
Larisa another remarkable episode with highly wrought visualisations of the places and situation in which you found yourself, for example that waiting room once a ball room? Looking forward to the next chapter I see a long string of comment about a book - sorry the. outcome was so flat when you made your approaches. Your stories remain compulsive reading and have the effect of slowing me down, as a man in a hurry to move on, this prose demands study and contemplation. Timbo xxx
Tim, thank you so much for your reaction to my writing and how it is perceived by others. I think it's a problem not only ours but also Substack's. I don't know the technicalities of Substack or don't understand them, but I understand that you find a group of like-minded people, read their posts, they read yours, and the conversation begins in comments and chat. It is by chance that we find the other people who join us, isn't it? Substack offers special courses on how to increase your readers, as I read and you read in our emails, on how to be successful on Substack, but I don't have any time for these courses. I have so little time left to me that I am glad to use it actively with my own program.
I loved this - I always look forward to reading your memories and reflections on your life in Soviet Russia. the details about your father were really touching and perfect - I felt those.
Samara, thank you so much for reading and liking it. I still remember that I promised to tell you about your name in Russian sense. I will do it slowly and a little. First, we have the old town of Samara on the Volga River and an old song about that old town: Oi, Samara- small town...
Thank you for your suggestion about a book. I already tried once, like 3 years ago, and sent like 9 or 7 queries. I got 3 or 4 negative answers and silence from others. So, I don't want to start a new process.
yes, I understand. I haven’t sent anything out to be published for a long time. I have always just loved the process of writing. I am thinking about getting off substack. If I do, I have aways enjoyed your work.
No i am not tired of it. I enjoy the writing. I was just thinking of taking a break of putting my work on Substack, but, hey, I might keep on putting it up for folks to read.
My thanks for reading and liking my memoir to: World Politics, Eugine Terekhin, Mymy Khan, Mandy Morris, Konstantin Asimonov, Radek, Rob Woller, Putin's Pussy, and many others who read and liked it.
Thank you, dear. We loved those cigarettes; they were long and elegant, at least to us, after the Russian ones, short and impossibly strong for us, girls. Thank you for restaking.
Thank you for reading and for your reaction to my writing. The Soviet system was all perfect in their propaganda, and all lies in life. But now even worse for the ordinary people. They call it "bespredel," without limit- everything is possible, not good, only bad.
The blend of elegance, irony, and quiet tension in your encounters with your father, friends, and officials makes the narrative both deeply personal and historically insightful. I was especially moved by the moment you finally called him “papa,” and that poignant hand-kiss farewell on the lift. Thank you for sharing such a rich and evocative piece of history.
Oh, Larisa, this chapter is especially interesting to me because of the mention of Ira and Alpha. At the same time, it was a little sad to read about your last meeting with your father. But it's good that you grew closer to each other before that moment.
Your observations such as the following are very interesting to me: “Our bluff was successful, though the feeling that only foreigners felt free in our ‘proud’ Soviet country was rather unpleasant.” Also when you are unsettled by seeing all the families refused a permit to Leningrad, knowing it was just your father’s powerful position which enabled you to get it, seeing the scales were weighted and the reality was unfair despite all the utopian and lofty language about equality.
Oh, I think you may have confused me with another David. I never lived in Odessa. I visited Pyatigorsk in around 1998 or so for nine weeks and that is the extent of my experience in Russia, other than through literature. (Right now I am reading Maxim Gorky’s My Childhood).
Oh, David, I did. Sorry for that. Yes, I remember now, I wrote about Lermontov for you. Still, hadn't you had the same impression as a foreigner that life is hard for people there?
Yes, it did seem hard though I liked the people I met there very much, mainly students from the university or institute. The trams were very full. Many were poor. As a foreigner it did seem like I had more freedom.
Thank you, David, for your reaction. Hadn't you had the same reaction, living in Odessa for a while? Do you think any of the Soviets had the privilege to come to the Opera Theater, get acquainted with the singers, and write a thesis about theater? Didn't life seem easier for you than for regular Soviet citizens? I would be very interested in your impression of life in the Soviet Union. Why don't you write about it?
Larisa another remarkable episode with highly wrought visualisations of the places and situation in which you found yourself, for example that waiting room once a ball room? Looking forward to the next chapter I see a long string of comment about a book - sorry the. outcome was so flat when you made your approaches. Your stories remain compulsive reading and have the effect of slowing me down, as a man in a hurry to move on, this prose demands study and contemplation. Timbo xxx
Tim, thank you so much for your reaction to my writing and how it is perceived by others. I think it's a problem not only ours but also Substack's. I don't know the technicalities of Substack or don't understand them, but I understand that you find a group of like-minded people, read their posts, they read yours, and the conversation begins in comments and chat. It is by chance that we find the other people who join us, isn't it? Substack offers special courses on how to increase your readers, as I read and you read in our emails, on how to be successful on Substack, but I don't have any time for these courses. I have so little time left to me that I am glad to use it actively with my own program.
Thanks, Larisa. Read it with great interest. Your memories are full of incredible details about life in the 60-70s - my parents’ time.
Спасибо, Женя. Thank you for your interest. Glad to open Russia to you.
I loved this - I always look forward to reading your memories and reflections on your life in Soviet Russia. the details about your father were really touching and perfect - I felt those.
Samara, thank you so much for reading and liking it. I still remember that I promised to tell you about your name in Russian sense. I will do it slowly and a little. First, we have the old town of Samara on the Volga River and an old song about that old town: Oi, Samara- small town...
I think I found some old recordings of it! "Akh, Samara-Gorodok"
Samara, where could you find it? I would love to hear it. Do you like the melody? It is so strange. Would you tell me, please, your opinion!
I love the tune! I found it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbcL2c2semw&list=RDdbcL2c2semw&start_radio=1 and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KgDO8DqZX8&list=RD1KgDO8DqZX8&start_radio=1
Larisa,
I hope you are putting a book together of your writing. It would be so good—excellent indeed.
Thank you for your suggestion about a book. I already tried once, like 3 years ago, and sent like 9 or 7 queries. I got 3 or 4 negative answers and silence from others. So, I don't want to start a new process.
yes, I understand. I haven’t sent anything out to be published for a long time. I have always just loved the process of writing. I am thinking about getting off substack. If I do, I have aways enjoyed your work.
Roger, are you tired of Substack? What is it? Oh, don’t tell, if it is something you don’t want to talk about.
No i am not tired of it. I enjoy the writing. I was just thinking of taking a break of putting my work on Substack, but, hey, I might keep on putting it up for folks to read.
Please, do! Especially if you enjoy the writing. And we enjoy reading your writing. And I love seeing your dog's face.
hahaha, I am glad you like Lexi’s face. I am sure that I will continue to put my work on Substack, Thank you very much.
another great chapter in life
Thank you, Roger.
My thanks for reading and liking my memoir to: World Politics, Eugine Terekhin, Mymy Khan, Mandy Morris, Konstantin Asimonov, Radek, Rob Woller, Putin's Pussy, and many others who read and liked it.
as always I read every word greedily. Thank you
(only now I understand why "BT" was called "BT". I always learn something new)
Thank you, dear. We loved those cigarettes; they were long and elegant, at least to us, after the Russian ones, short and impossibly strong for us, girls. Thank you for restaking.
❤️
Thank you for reading and for your reaction to my writing. The Soviet system was all perfect in their propaganda, and all lies in life. But now even worse for the ordinary people. They call it "bespredel," without limit- everything is possible, not good, only bad.