Tver, Russia, 1990-1991

Tver, Russia, 1990: Standing near the college dormitory gates.

I have always been interested in international issues. My curiosity about the Soviet Union grew out of family history. This is not unusual since many sociologists develop expertise around issues that connect to them personally. In the early 20th Century my father's maternal grandfather fled from Ukraine. My father's mother, Leontina, was the family's first born child in North America after leaving Ukraine. So, my family's connection to that region of the world shaped my decision to study Russian language when I was a freshman in college. Ever since I began to study Russian language, I have tried to develop new ways to understand how people live day-to-day in (what is now) the former Soviet Union.

Fellow student, Don, shopping at the produce store.

My first trip to Russia took place between September 1990 to March 1991. I traveled with two other student peers for a student exchange in which three U.S. college students were sent to study at Tver State University and two Russian students were sent to study at Eastern Washington University. We studied in Tver, Russia, during a period of "defitsit" (literally "deficit", when all goods were scarce). People needed to use "talonyi" (ration coupons) that limited how much each person could purchase during the month. To make things worse, the Soviet ruble was devalued in January 1991 and many people lost their savings. People grimly remarked at the time that it may not really matter since they had nothing around to buy with their money anyway. Some thought that the old rubles might make good wallpaper. Ah, you can tell people will survive a long time if they keep their sense of humor! Times were difficult for Soviet citizens at this time, but people we met were always generous. We always hoped that our Russian counterparts at Eastern Washington University were treated as hospitably.

Susan and I waiting for the tram in downtown Tver.