Since his arrival by boat to Russia, my uncle has visited Leningrad and is now in Moscow.
He visits Lenin’s Tomb, The Kremlin and Togsin, the foreigner’s shop, where purchases have to be paid in foreign money.
Rather weirdly for a tourist trip, they go on to visit a woman’s prison. They way it is organised is unique;
“The conditions are very different from at home”.
Crimes such as murder are considered minor, compared to acting against the State.
It is not called a prison but a colony. The prisoners are named “people deprived of their liberty” and are perfectly free to walk about within the grounds from 6 am to 9 pm…. Everyone is a second offender and their term is on average 3 years (but they do not include counter-revolutionaries as this is too serious and is punished separately). Our guide is a sweet-faced girl of about twenty serving two years for child murder”
He goes on to explain the surprising information
“Every prisoner has two weeks holiday a year ….and never fails to return”
There is also a special area for persistent offenders’ aged 16-18 with no parents. For them each day consists of 4 hours work for which they are paid, and 4 hours study. Their money is put in a bank and they can use it during their holiday. Then there is another slightly strange visit, this time to the Office of Registration of Marriages and Divorce. The day finally ends at the opera.
“Where we see a good performance of Eugene Onegin by Tchaikosvky”
After Moscow the trip continues by sleeper train to the 4th City of Russia “Nizhny Novgorod” (a year after the diary is written, it is renamed Gorky, after the exiled writer – as Stalin has just persuaded him to return home).
This is followed by a beautiful trip up the Volga
“Gloriously peaceful after the rush of the last few days.”
Again here is really descriptive picture of the trip on this famous waterway.
“The River is rather flat but quite busy. We have to zig-zag from side to side to avoid the sand banks. We pass timber being towed downstream and bathers near the banks… I wander downstairs to third class. Poor people are lying about in all directions on the floor in hundreds and the heat is very great.”
Eventually they arrive at a small village on the river where they are to take a train to Ivanovo the textile capital of the country. Again his description conveys the scene.
“The train leaves at 3. We walk to the station the luggage being strapped onto an old dilapidated horse and cart. The place is a muddle. The 5 year plan has hardly started here”
And on to Ivanovo which is obviously extremely different
“It is the Manchester of Russia. …. modern dwellings are all around and our hotel is absolutely new and not yet finished. The whole of one wall of our room is glass but as only a small part of it can be opened it is stifling hot”
On August 3rd they are on a train for twenty-four hours, for the journey back to Leningrad. He portrays the atmosphere
“At every station everybody rushes out to get hot water in every available receptacle. In between the meals we play games and make tea. The lights do not work so we prepare our last meal in the dark, under difficulties. The bedding does not arrive and we go to sleep without it.”
Finally they arrive and soon decide to climb the Dome of St Isaac’s.
“The view of Peter and Paul Fortess, The Winter Palace, The Bridges and the Hermitage, is wonderful in the sunlight. We can see the Neva (river) stretching out to Sea.”
Eventually they leave Leningrad to catch their boat home and so take a tugboat down the estuary “Guessing which boat is ours” until they see it is similar to the one they came to Russia in.
They go on board, where, somewhat differently from cruises today,
“We are not allotted cabins but are told to select our own.”
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