question about newspapers and magazines

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Maria
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Maria »

Barbara wrote:

Alexander, you mean the man in orange would have clutched onto anyone who fell into the water to
keep him from drowning ? That sentence wasn't 100 % clear.

I guess no one fell in, thank God.

That IS terrifying that your ship was so far off the coast that
it was touch and go [i.e., dangerous] for the helicopters to be able to rescue and have enough fuel to
return to land.

Was this incident covered widely in the US media at the time? I would imagine it was,
but I don't remember reading about it at the time. Of course, it was a good propaganda piece for the US.
Probably USIA would have broadcast this story everywhere overseas ! [They were not permitted by law
to publish or broadcast domestically in the U.S. But their mission was to show the good side of America
and counterract Soviet dezinformatsia. They did their best to capitalize on any incident like this to
show the world that the American way was superior to the Soviet Communist one.]

Yes, Barbara, it was covered in the U.S. Media especially when President Reagan welcomed the sailors to the White House. My son was still a toddler at that time.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Alexander Kuzmin »

Christ is Risen!
I continue my story that happened in March 1987, when the American Coast Guard rescued the crew of our ship that sank 200 miles from the coast of the USA.

  • + +

The helicopters with our crew landed at their military base. We were placed in a big hall in the main building there. We had to spend the whole day in that hall because we had no visas to enter the country. We could not walk out of the hall because the military base was a secret object and we were from the USSR that was in the state of Cold war with the USA.

But American militaries were very kind to us. They brought us food and took care of us. They told us that our visas will be ready soon and people from the Soviet embassy will take is from the military base.

A funny story happened (I can tell it because more than 25 years have passed). My friend (a sailor) got very nervous. He whispered to me that he has a bag of silver coins of the Tsars’s times (the end of 19-th and the beginning of 20-th century). He took these coins to the boat because he wanted to sell them somewhere, and he rescued this bag from the ship. But now the Soviet embassy is going to take us, they will definitely find these coins and he will have big problems. He wanted to get rid of this bag, but he did not know how to do it: we were constantly watched. “Do not worry, I will do it”, — I told to him. I took the bag with the coins from him and went to the bathroom that was in the hall. I threw out this heavy bag with silver coins to the garbage can there in order to save my friend. I wonder if it was ever found by anybody.

Finally two men arrived from the Soviet embassy. They had the documents and they were looking for some hotel nearby, and it was already getting dark. Finally they found a motel, but there was no bus to take the crew of 37 people there. And the kind American Coast guards again helped us. About ten of them took us into their own private cars and gave us a lift to that motel.

There was a line of cars with Russian sailors going along the highway. “Music?” asked our driver. And he turned on some nice American music that was forbidden in the USSR and that people used to listen secretly in Russia. I felt completely happy at that night highway in that car.

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Maria
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Maria »

Alexander Kuzmin wrote:

Christ is Risen!
I continue my story that happened in March 1987, when the American Coast Guard rescued the crew of our ship that sank 200 miles from the coast of the USA.

  • + +

The helicopters with our crew landed at their military base. We were placed in a big hall in the main building there. We had to spend the whole day in that hall because we had no visas to enter the country. We could not walk out of the hall because the military base was a secret object and we were from the USSR that was in the state of Cold war with the USA.

But American militaries were very kind to us. They brought us food and took care of us. They told us that our visas will be ready soon and people from the Soviet embassy will take is from the military base.

A funny story happened (I can tell it because more than 25 years have passed). My friend (a sailor) got very nervous. He whispered to me that he has a bag of silver coins of the Tsars’s times (the end of 19-th and the beginning of 20-th century). He took these coins to the boat because he wanted to sell them somewhere, and he rescued this bag from the ship. But now the Soviet embassy is going to take us, they will definitely find these coins and he will have big problems. He wanted to get rid of this bag, but he did not know how to do it: we were constantly watched. “Do not worry, I will do it”, — I told to him. I took the bag with the coins from him and went to the bathroom that was in the hall. I threw out this heavy bag with silver coins to the garbage can there in order to save my friend. I wonder if it was ever found by anybody.

Finally two men arrived from the Soviet embassy. They had the documents and they were looking for some hotel nearby, and it was already getting dark. Finally they found a motel, but there was no bus to take the crew of 37 people there. And the kind American Coast guards again helped us. About ten of them took us into their own private cars and gave us a lift to that motel.

There was a line of cars with Russian sailors going along the highway. “Music?” asked our driver. And he turned on some nice American music that was forbidden in the USSR and that people used to listen secretly in Russia. I felt completely happy at that night highway in that car.

I am sure that some janitor was very happy with that treasure. No doubt with that kind of heavy trash bag, he was curious, and investigated.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Alexander Kuzmin »

I hope so.

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Barbara
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Barbara »

Yes, that was my first thought, too, the jingling of the silver coins must have led to a sensational find !

Well, what would the Soviet Embassy people have done precisely had they found
the coins on your sailor friend ?
Would that have been cause for them to :

  1. Reprimand him as a traitor to "The socialist Motherland", a follower of the "leeches",
    or whatever exact term the monarchy and upper classes were called ?
  2. Take him aside for rough interrogation ; separate him from the group,
    maybe never heard from again by any of you ?
  3. Send him under guard on next Aeroflot flight to Moscow, transferring to Colyma for
    10-15 years in the worst gulag area ?

How DID he get a hold of the coins, one wonders ? Was it while traveling with the ship?
For he couldn't have found them inside the Iron Curtain countries, I assume.

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Alexander Kuzmin »

ll, what would the Soviet Embassy people have done precisely had they found
the coins on your sailor friend ?

He could have received up till 15 years of prison of these coins were found. It was prohibited to take them across the border not registered.

Although many families had such coins from the old times, it was not prohibited. It was prohibited only to treat them illegally. So, he took them from Russia.

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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Alexander Kuzmin
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Re: question about newspapers and magazines

Post by Alexander Kuzmin »

I was planning to write here how our crew was received by Ronald Reagan and how close I was to beat Dr Charles Hyder who was holding his hunger strike near the White House "in defence of peace". But sometimes things go different, not the way we expect them to go.

If somebody find some pictures about the crew of the ship “Komsomolets Kirgizii” dated March 14 1987 and later, please send them to mustanger.spb at gmail.com . I will be very glad to receive them.

I am leaving the Saint Euphrosynos Cafe. I have offended some old members here and I ask forgiveness for this. I did not want it.

I wish all the best to every member of this forum. Please remember me sometimes in your prayers.

Yours sincerely,
Sasha aka Alexander Kuzmin

I study English, forgive my mistakes.

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