Travel Notes

Sweepstakes winners

We are happy to announce the winners of the Russian Life, “Subscribers Only” Summer Sweepstakes.

The Grand Prize winner of a free round-trip ticket on Lufthansa to Moscow is Dennis Sybrowsky, whose family actually emigrated from Russia in 1914. He has never been to Russia before and hopes to travel there with his son.

Second Prize winners of $100 gift certificates for products sold through Access Russia were: Kenneth Corey-Edstrom and Mosinee High School.

Third Prize winners of which there were 30 (too numerous to name here – see our web site), got free Russian Life “Get a Life” Tshirts.

Fourth Prize winners (there were 50) received free Bilingual Wall Maps of Russia and the Republics.

Congratulations to all our winners! Be on the lookout for another contest soon!

Paul Richardson

Publisher

Censoring Misha

To the Editors:

Mr. Tweedy of Fort Davis, Texas, was not the only reader to notice your slighting of President Gorbachev.

In addition to the extremely strange lack of information in Medvedev’s article, you also failed to note his birthday in March.

Mr. Tweedy is correct in his suspicions regarding censorship.

Though this censorship may not be by your publication, it most certainly is the policy of the Yeltsin administration, which has denied any television or radio time to President Gorbachev since 1992.

Your magazine has been running a series of articles by Americans driving across Russia. I remind you that if it were not for President Gorbachev, they most certainly would not be doing that.

Considering the vast accomplishments on the world stage of President Gorbachev, it seems just as petty on your part as on the Yeltsin’s to so studiously ignore him.

Sincerely,

Dr. S.M. Kortlucke

Lawrence, KS

The Other Contest

To the Editors:

I am writing to inquire when Russian Life is planning on printing the answers, and a list of the winners of the Moscow Anniversary Contest that you advertised in your May 1997 issue.

I didn’t find anything pertaining to the contest in your most recent September issue, and am curious to find out how I may learn of the answers and winners, as I worked especially hard on the questions, and feel confident in the answers I mailed to Moscow in June.

I appreciate very much you looking into this for me.

Sincerely,

Amy Goodpaster Strebe

Savannah, GA

Dear Amy:

As you know, this was not a contest which Russian Life sponsored. We merely provided information about the contest to our readers, in the hopes that some might win a free trip to Moscow.

We have requested a list of correct answers and a list of winners from the organizers of the contest, and, when wee receive it, we will be glad to send these to anyone who supplies us with a self-addressed stamped envelope. In the alternative, this information will also be posted on our web site (see address below). Look for the “New Stuff” icon.

– The Editors

Bad with the Good

To the Editors:

I read with great interest your fine article: The Yeast of Russia [April 1997]. I fully agree with the tenor of it, but the presentation could have been more balanced:

People like Trotzki, Berija and Kaganowich — the latter henchman under Stalin, who was responsible for the death of 12 million Kulaks, all were Jews and have caused untold suffering to the Russian people, let alone Karl Marx, also Jewish, but not Russian.

I only want to make the point, that in all races we have black sheep, who take away from the good which fortunately outweighs the bad committed by all human races.

Yours very truly,

E.O. Rohard

Bedminster, NJ