Letters to the Editor

To the Editors:

The article titled “Walking for the Tsar” (July/Aug 2009) is well written and informative, as Russian Life articles usually are. However, several times in your magazine we see the expression “Romanov worship.” This is even on the cover! Orthodox Christians do not worship the Romanovs (or the Mother of God, or saints, or relics). Worship is reserved for God alone, and the Romanovs, as saints, are VENERATED. There is a difference.

Hans Jaegerstatter

To the Editors:

You article on Alexander Godunov brought back some fond memories. I was a second year student at the University of Chicago in 1974 when I found out the Bolshoi Ballet (billed as “Stars of The Bolshoi Ballet”) would be coming to Chicago and bringing their production of Spartacus for the first time. After the performance was over, a friend dared me to go backstage. I took him up on the challenge. We met not only Godunov but his “posse.”...The other dancers were Valery Anisimov, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Nina Sorokina and Galina Kozlova.  I remember seeing Maya Plisetskaya, but I did not have the courage to meet her. 

For the next week we hung out with all of them every night and watched every performance but from a new vantage point: backstage. It was mesmerizing to see him perform. His stage presence was magnetic and Spartacus perfectly complemented his superb technique. We also got to observe master classes.

One night we took the group to Chicago’s famous Giordano’s pizza. They thought it was heaven... I never saw Godunov again, but followed his career closely. His premature death left me sad for many months, but the summer of ‘74 will always be a cherished memory. Thank you for sharing and bringing back those memories.

Eugene Loroch

Chicago, IL

To the Editors:

My wife and I just returned from a visit to Moscow, where we were visiting our son, who is attending the Moscow School of Languages. I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoy your magazine,we made a list of things we wanted to do and places to see from articles in  your magazine.

Harry Gossett, by email