yh OFT rge we ol ker wart October 1978 Page Comment Sketch of Russian way of life Dr. Deon Greer’s nine month stay in Russia with his wife and daughter turned out to be a total involvement in were Russian. Even though their Russian associates thought for many months they were really spies. the Russian way of life for the three of them. parents at the school, play ground and Janice, outgoing and friendly, met Dr. Greer, professor of geography and former chairman of the Department of Geology and Geography was a USSR Academy of Science exchangee to study terminal (salt water) lakes of the USSR at the Water Problems Institute in We think of Russia as revolutionary but Moscow. and one conservative month in the Caucasus and two weeks in Siberia. His wife, Janice, took ballet and Russian and traveled daily on crowded inexpensive buses across the city for her classes and shopping. Seven-year-old Gina Margaret attended a Russian kindergarten with her studies supplemented at home by her parents to keep her abreast of first grade work in the U. S. She learned Russian quickly. ‘“‘We had interesting encounters with Gina Margaret’s teachers,’ said Dr. Greer. “They badger both parents and children, dictating what students will wear and telling them exactly ‘how it is.’ If a child makes a mistake the teachers says ‘‘that’s wrong, sit down.” Girls wear dresses and bows. Pants are not allowed. Gina also wore a “prescribed”’ fur coat and hat, boots (valenkies) and long stockings. had 40 Russian friends attend which is unusual. ‘The USSR is extremely conservative. the people tradition. Sea a)< KO than in Chicago but the Russians dress the children very protectively,’ said Dr. Greer. He pulled Gina to school each day on a sled. She participated in three programs. In the celebration of the October revolution Gina carried a Russian flag and extolled Stalin. At Christmas (called New Years) she danced with a little boy and in the spring they had a birthday party for Lenin. Through Gina’s enrollment in the Russian School the Greer’s met many more Russian people than would otherwise have been the case. Diplomats, correspondents and businessmen have to live in compounds together. They are guarded and drive to their offices where the only their and Historically life-style is very hide-bound they have Val A. Browning, Ogden industrialist, and Dan Martino, director of the WSC Office of Cultural Affairs, study program offerings. Mr. Browning’s gift of a $1 million trust fund to build and enrich the cultural arts is bringing ‘‘some prestigious programs without charge and others at admission prices all can afford to the college. A broader and richer selection of cultural programs is made possible through in- come from the gift,’’ said Mr. Martino. The current season has 35 offerings representing everyone. another family member.‘* The Greer’s had to rely on other Americans and friends in exchanging care of children. The Russian people survive by learning ‘‘how to get around the system.”’ Housing, including utilities, is very inexpensive. Public transportation is cheap but terribly crowded. It takes of their income, which is about $225. per month per adult for food and clothing, he said. The quality available is very poor. Most Russians save for automobiles and other luxuries. Everything must be paid for with cash. Women carry a lot of money with them in case they run into a sale of quality items, for example, dresses from Finland. They will buy all they have enough money for and then sell them again later at a profit. Although it is illegal to purchase from foreigners, the Russians were very eager to buy whatever they could from the Greer’s. They expecially wanted jeans, coats, and sweaters. Meat has not been for sale in stores in Siberia for many years. People obtain it by illegal means and as a result constantly live on the border of fear. They never know when they might be cracked down on. bookings in ten Thursday Wednesday Oct. 26 Nov. 1 Friday Tuesday Wednesday Monday Harry Truman Show Harp Quartet from — Abrasenic-Yugoslavian Dancers Audubon Film Series America Film Series (2) Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Richard Rodgers Show (Young America Film Series (3) America Film Series (3) Dr. Clifford Wilson ‘Dead Sea Nov. 13 Wednesday Tuesday Wednesday Monday something for Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Dec. 28 28 29 30 5 Wednesday Dec. 6 Wednesday Tuesday Wednesday 8 p.r 8 p.m (Homecoming) 8 p.m 8 p.ir 8 p.r Frank Wiens-Pianist 15 21 22 27 Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Tuesday Tuesday Russia Nov. 3 Nov. 7 Nov. 8 America. Film Series (4) Dr. Clifford Wilson ‘‘UFO’s”’ America Film Series (4) Mark Russell-Satirist America Film Series (5) America Film Series 8 p.r Americans) 8 8 8 8 Scrolls’ 8 12 8 8 8 (5) p.m p.r p.r p.r p.m p.n p.n p.n p.n 8 p.n Dec. 12 America Film Series (6) 8 p.n Dec. America (6) 8 p.n America Film Series (7) America Film Series (7) 8 p.n 8 p.n 13 Dec. 19 Dec. 20 Film Series In the open markets where farmers sell produce official prices are posted but they charge what the traffic will bear. Ambitious salesmen will ride a Performers in opera, ballet and ° theater are full-time employees | make a regular Russian salary. train 2,000 miles in the winter to sell a a amounts and are probably the rich people in the country,” Dr. Greer sa In addition to these cultural eve: time-consuming there are 100 theaters with live | few cases of tomatos and ‘“‘make killing’”’ at $1 to $1.50 for a tomato. Buying food is a proposition in Russia, with hours spent *“You stand in three lines-one to find out how much an item costs, one to pay for it and another to get the item. Milk was often sour except in stores with the longest lines. Everything is sold in different stores.‘ Cultural events, however, florish in Russia. “‘On any night in Moscow there Drawings by Janice Greer categories Events sponsored by Office of Cultural Affairs in the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts: in long lines. Russians they come in contact with are assigned to work with them and are usually members of the KGB-state security agency. ‘‘Academicians are the _ only foreigners who can mix freely with the Russian people,’”’ explained Dr. Greer. Eighty per cent of their acquaintances to been conservative. Other Europeans would have revolted long ago. There is a definite ‘‘privileged class.”’ They have special stores, hospitals and transportation which is exactly opposite from what they preach. This new class has all the privileges the Czar’s once received. The Russian people live very austere lives with few comforts. Dr. Greer pointed out that most families have only one child. ‘‘They would like to have more but cannot afford them. The labor structure demands that everyone work. The children are very pampered. Baby sitters are virtually unheard of. Parents wouldn’t think of leaving a child with anyone but most “It’s really not any colder in Moscow and are 10 or 15 ballets, 5 or 6 operas and many plays to choose from. An especially popular Avante Garde play written by the modern author, Bulgakov, even knocks the system and is sold out months in advance. “The stars, however, tertainment, make two circuses, fantas race trac and 20 sports clubs with teams in kinds of sports. They are inexpens' and open to everyone. In his studies on terminal lakes Greer and his family traveled to visit | lakes. They were guests of powerful rm and were often treated like royalty w entourages of 2 or 3 cars and expens: suites. He could usually speak bet Russian than the translators. Dr. Greer is currently writing a b¢ on the worlds terminal lakes, along w different authors from around the wor He hopes to return to Russia for a sh time to wrap up loose ends on the bo al a He and his family were seven half months in Moscow, one park, Friends introduced them to friends. At a farewell in their honor they