Letters to the Editor

To the Editors:

In your [Jan/Feb 1999] issue of Russian Life you printed a recipe for Gurievskaya Kasha which, by the way, is my favorite. But you left out very important information: the size of the ovenproof dish.

I am sure that many others, beside myself, would love to know – could you print it in your next issue? Please!

Thanking you.

Kevin Tyler

Pine Plains, NY

Kevin:

We suggest used of a 9-10 inch deep dish pie plate. Good luck!

– The Editors

To the Editors:

For me, who may be a little older now, Russian Life allows a glance back in time at what remains of the old Soviet Union I knew as a young man in 1975.

Through your publication, I can walk in places I knew, and seek out what stays the same; being surprised, or aghast, at changes.

Now, some may see Russia too unsettled or dangerous to visit. For these, and others, your magazine gives regular access to a Russia they love.

I enjoy each issue.

Sincerely yours,

James R. Prindle

Phoenix, AZ

White Sun’s Hero

To the Editors:

What a great article on Vladimir Motyl and White Sun of the Desert! I love this movie and consider it one of the greatest adventure films of all time.

But I have a question. I understand that one of the actors in the film was very sick during the filming and struggled just to finish work on the film, dying shortly thereafter. Can you provide more info?

Yours,

Keith Adams

by Email

Kieth:

Thank you for your kind words on the article dedicated to our beloved movie, White Sun of the Desert. Yes, you are correct. Pavel Uspekaev, the actor who starred in the movie as customs officer Pavel Vereshchagin, was seriously ill during the filming (he suffered from an illness which left him barely able to move his feet). Still, he did not hesitate when Vladimir Motyl invited him to participate in White Sun.

Not many contemporary Russian cinema stars can match the vigor and talent of the late Pavel Uspekaev. His participation in the filming was a truly heroic deed and now, as a result, we Russians simply can’t picture any other actor in the role of Pavel Vereshchagin. Uspekaev suffered greatly during the filming, but never complained. And he died shortly after the filming was completed.

The fact that Uspekaev could barely even stand up is not evident in the film, thanks to Motyl’s artful directing. Uspekaev even made a point to participate in the fight scenes on the boat .

Pavel Uspekaev belonged to the group of brilliant actors from Georgy Tovstonogov’s Bolshoy Akademichesky Theater, of St. Petersburg. Uspekaev also starred as the police chief in the famous movie The Three Fat Men, based on the novel of the same name by Yuri Olesha. Vladimir Motyl had many warm words to say about “Pasha,” who apparently improvised a great deal during the filming (e.g during the famous “Stone in the vodka glass-scene”).

— The Editors

To the Editors:

Congratulations [on your 40th issue]!  Russian Life is one of the few publications I actually look forward to receiving.  I remember Soviet Life and the impact it made on me back in the 50’s.  Your magazine is a worthy successor.

Credit your magazine, along with a long personal history of interest in Russia for my returning to Samara in August to volunteer in an orphanage for the foreseeable future.  At a time when people my age settle in “Sun City,” I am beginning my life anew in a climate of challenge and change.  Having overcome the misconceptions so commonly held by Americans at large, I have come to love your great country and her wonderful citizens.  Indeed, the truth sets us free, and magazines such as yours open minds to a clearer understanding of what unites, rather than separates us all.

The information and color you provide will, hopefully, move more of my compatriots to visit Russia and see first-hand the extended family to which we all belong.  Keep up the good work, and long life!

Tom Bennignus

Newport, KY

Tom:

Thank you for the kind words. Best of luck with the volunteer work!

— The Editors

Russian Imports

To the Editors:

Hi! I just wanted to respond to an item in the current issue of Russian Life, April/May 1999. I received it yesterday, and, as always, enjoyed it. I did see something that I want to comment on. On page 11, under the title, BUY RUSSIAN, it said about a new product to enter the US market, and that it was the 3rd type of consumer item [to be sold in the US]. Well, I wanted to let you know that one of our local clothes store sells jackets (spring weather type), that state, “Made in Russia”. I bought one of them in the Fall of 1998.

Take care!

MaryAnne Nowack

by Email

Dear Mary Anne:

The reference in the news brief you refer to was about food items. But as to the broader range of consumer goods, you are absolutely correct. There are many cases of Russian goods “sneaking” into unsung pockets of the American consumer market.

This last winter, our publisher bought a new pair of cross-country skis and was happy to discover a fine pair made in Russia. One of the finest sets of watercolor paints available in the US is made in St. Petersburg. And then there is the famous Leica camera, also made in St. Petersburg, which has a cult following among photographers.

These goods, and the knowledge that there are more to discover, has us working on a story for a future issue of the magazine on Russian goods on the US market. We welcome any and all information from readers about goods they have been surprised to find, so that we can investigate them further. Information can be sent to the Vermont mailing address, or to our email: [email protected]

— The Editors

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