Letter from Japan from Volume XIV, No's 4,5 & 6, February 1962.
It was getting cold in August when we packed off from Moscow, a few days before the megaton bangs, a few days after Titov and the Berlin wall. The first week of August had ended on a sombre note, despite Titov. For the first time in years Khrushchev had warned the Russian people to be prepared for the worst — a nuclear war. There was a mood of anxiety and unease but no panic, and the prices did not rocket…
Taken all in all, the Russians are a wonderful people, though they do not read The New Statesman and The Times Literary Supplement. Familiarity with them brings content and sometimes imparts a sense of purpose even to those who do not belong.
Comments
EPW looks forward to your comments. Please note that comments are moderated as per our comments policy. They may take some time to appear. A comment, if suitable, may be selected for publication in the Letters pages of EPW.