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Stands for radio old picture. You are listening to frost radio, bringing the crystallization of new ideas to the airwaves. The views expressed in this show are not necessarily those of w, are you w or Case Western Reserve University? You are listening to frost radio. It is the day before May Day May 1st 2002. So what does that make this April 30th? So we have a little special show lined up. For today. We're going to be interviewing the Lana and Svetlana is a person who's been living in the United States for about 10 years now and grew up in the former Soviet Union. So she's going to talk about moving. You know, what life was like in the Soviet Union and moving to the United States and all those various things and we'll you know, we'll just have a conversation. Stationed here. If you've got any questions for her as we're going along just give us a call at 368 2208. So, how you doing, Solana? I'm doing well. Thank you. Good you glad to be in Frost radio. Yeah your been on the radio before. No this my first time. And maybe less. All right. So so you grew up in the Soviet Union. Is that right? Yes. And what was that? Like what? What time? Well, let's just give us a sense. When did you first move to the United States? I've moved to United States September. 14 1991, 1991. And that was just like months before, the Soviet Union collapsed. So after you all took off, they just couldn't take it anymore and the whole thing fell apart. Yes, okay. So let me ask you this to how old were you when you came over here. I was almost 16. So you are like in high school at the time? Okay. So what was it? Like growing up then in the Soviet Union? It was very interesting. Your life. I think American Kids cannot really, it's not the same. Like, I see how American kids have been brought up. Mmm-hmm. And I see how much they miss him from their life. Like, in a we used to live in this huge apartment complex, uh-huh. Soviet Union, and we had a lot of friends and after school. We always Hang out outside and until like, midnight that, a lot of parents would like come over and like, grab us. And take us home. Yeah, it was very and we would do all these crazy things. But like what sorts of crazy things like we would get ourselves in trouble by screaming at the door of some old grandma. Yeah, and she would get so mad and like, throw stuff at us like wire and there was so much fun. But now look at that. It's kind of like, was very still. But we were like little, right? So you are a bunch of delinquents. Basically. Yeah, there's so many people. Uh-huh, who are like different age. It wasn't like pretty isolated, like, in a mirror in, I think in America. Hmm. There's a lot of poems for older people, and there's a lot of sort of each. Discrimination segregation. Yes, aggregation, I would say but in the former Soviet Union, it was like because the housing were so much problem. There were families living in very small rooms. Okay? Different Generations, right? And sort of like, It creates a different problem. Like, young people would get on years of old generation. But at the same time, I mean, you wouldn't want to old person just to like, leave or by themselves without any young people to pester them. Yeah. I mean, right even though we did a lot of bad things to them. We also sometimes learn from them and you also probably help them out. Yes. Yes times. And it was kind of much more. Complicated relationship, then just just bothering them. Yes. So, what were, you know, one time we were walking and Tremont together and we walked by, what is it called? The River View? Estates public housing. And you said, oh my gosh. This reminds me so much like home, is that? That's the only kind of similar area you've been in here because I think projects, mmm. I really reflects the Soviet Union. Idea of housing. Right. Yeah, and I think I like seeing people how they live in projects. It's very much reminds me of my home because like, if you, if you go to suburbs of United States, you don't like let's say Beechwood suburbs. I mean, they also profit, manicured lawns, all these people living in houses, but when you go to Cleveland, And you see the project and the you see people hang in there laundry outside on outside and and they just drying them naturally and there would be like, kids running around and playing. And that's that's really reminds me of my home because that's how we grow up and Soviet Union, right? So you were born then in Odessa. Yes, sir. Yes. It's Near is a Black Sea in a town called moldavanka, the right area section and the section of the city. Yeah, and moldavanka is a fairly famous neighborhood. Yes. For a for its drinking. Ha ha. And for like being kind of funny humorist because at that is very humorous City. It has lots of great cultural tradition. It used to be suitable, all the rich People would spend their summer in. Okay, from from Russia, then yes, from like from even before it became communist. Mhm. So, all the rich people would have a summer houses in a desert and they would come to our that's only like during summer and the Black Sea on the Black Sea. So, a lots of tourists. So it was kind of a relic. It's Nothin like internationally tourist town, but for the area it's kind of Asset tourist town and was moldavanka the neighborhood where a lot of the the workers lives. Then who would? Yes, keep the place running. Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of and so I lived in kind of very typical. Middle-class Soviet Union environment. Sure. Now, what did your to parents do in the Soviet Union? My father was an artist and he Worked as creating tombstones for the people who the passed away. And so that's how he did living and my mom. She did all different things throughout her life, like she was, she was always involved with police police. I'll take seeming policy, even police, and politics politics. She was very pretty. She was involved with the police. Like she was in trouble or yeah, she was always see. Sometimes in travel is like what was she doing to get in trouble? She was selling stuff on the streets, which was against the law at Soviet Union. So if she was like a little business woman, but yeah, but it wasn't allowed in Soviet Union to have a private businesses. So, all these people who want to have like sell stuff on the street. They would be harassed by police. It's okay. So periodically, the vendors will get. Yeah, and then what would they do? Like, how would they keep? Because they had a pretty, I mean, she did it for a while, right? Yes. How would she manage it? Do? You know? Well, it was like, me and my sister after we were little and we would, my mom would sell stuff and we would that be on the street with my mother and see if there was a policeman walking around and we would have to scream to my mom. Mom go away is like something like that and she would run away and hide for the policeman would see her, right? And so that's what she did. And that sounds kind of like what the street paddlers have to do in New York City. They stay away from the police and juicy, the Giuliani. Yeah. Yes. Yes. It's kind of I just telling me just this one of my own comments. It's kind of funny how the United States tries to act so much like this. Union after critiquing it for so many years, you know, like cracking down on Street Peddlers and things like that in the last 10 years. Yeah. That's what my mom did. She was kind of she threw out her life. I mean, she was did many things, she had engineering degree and but the for a while, she used that but then she didn't want to be engineer because it was very limited. Right? Well, you would work for a company. Me for years and years like a slave and then the human get anything that the higher the people would in charge, you have run even though Soviet Union supposed to be about equality, you know, it's never been equal, you know, communist ideals was equality and so there were still inequalities and different access to resources. Yes, would you say? What would like, what were some of those kind of inequalities that you remember, seeing? Like, how, how would they manifest themselves in everyday life? Like, some people had better clothes, like clothes was like, if you had phoning, I did that training shoes at school. That was like, oh wow, your parents must be some kind of like have access to the like folding currency or like your parents. Must be traveling outside the Soviet Union. And when you think about every kid in tow Indian growing up, I mean, none of us could have our parents with buying shoes in this department store and you would have five people in your class wearing. The same kind of shoes that were mass produced in that year and seeing I did that choose. Yeah. Different kind was like wow. Did you like my love for like you think about those? I mean now I have I did that shoes, you know, and I'm like I'm like, okay. So what when I was growing up, it was like such a big thing, you know, right here are some easy. So people who were the differentials were more based on kind of access to kind of Goods that. Yeah, we're had a higher Social Status and well it's kind of like for ting stuff was so idealized that since the Soviet Union always kind of sensor there, what was coming into the country, you know, there were high censorships sort of like certain movies were banned because they didn't fit the Communist ideal and certain books were not allowed to be. We're at. So everybody kind of wanted to read them because they're yeah, it's sort of there is it was underground. That was kind of even though it was against Soviet Union rules, you know, it was, it was part of the culture. Yeah, like people would listen at night a radio that was broadcasted from America, you know, like sort of like very political and it would be sometimes. Don't like what they called for us. You couldn't hear it at certain times because it was the if Soviet Union catch the waves right with interrupted. Okay, and the sort of like certain times you can just so it's kind of like a cat and mouse game. Yeah, it's not all the time. Yeah. So how would people get act? What would people do? Like, what sorts of positions where they have to be in in order to get Access to these kind of high status Goods like Adidas and things like that either. Are they have to be inflated, you know, like traveling. Okay? For like there was a lot of People working on the shapes, you know, from a military. Yeah, so it and that's was a port city. So there were a lot of people who worked sort of like export and import, you know from Soviet Union to other countries like China who was also I mean is now but you the were life if you are wearing your ID does like in school you wouldn't get in trouble. Hmm. Mmm, no, you don't get in trouble for wearing that, but you had the uniform at school. Every school had uniform. So, for girls, it was like, brown dress, and we had the Black Cab turn for every day. And for holidays come, nice holidays, we would have to wear it to school instead of black pepper and white Hepburn, and boys would have a brownie uniform. And for every day, they would have to wear a blue. Shirt, but for some party, like tomorrow is the big day in would be in communist state, its workers. Workers holiday. Yes, and so like we would wear white airplane to work and we would go to school and we would bring flowers for a teacher and there would be some kind of rallies going on in school right now. You remember, you told me in the past that one of the more interesting days of your life. What? Yes. Joining, the young Pioneers is. Yes. Yes. Tell us about that. Well, Pena says is like Kind of, it was like, I'm thinking about similar thing in America. So people would understand. It's like, Boy, Scouts and Girl Scouts, but it was in America. I think there's sip separate, the Boy Scouts organization, their Girl Scouts the, but in Soviet Union. Pioneers is, was a boys and girls together. And we we like, I got accepted on April 22nd. And it was a birthday of the learning and it was when the Pioneers got accepted on his birthday. And I still remember the day it was like I was about at a third grade and it was like almost one of my best days of my life. I can say because I remember the day we had to memorize some Earth to come and his parents. That was like and that this like we always ready, you know, and it was very interesting because I think being at such a young age. I didn't understand exactly what was going on and up in terms of politics and stuff like that, but it was best day of my life because I remember one of the things they would do. They put red scarf on you. And every day after that, you have to wear to school that red scarf. And and I remember what they put the threats car for me and I walked outside. It was Sonny's day was beautiful spring day and I remember being so proud. I opened my shirt. I like walking outside with that. I was just amazing day for me with a red scarf. Yes. And like, so that was cool and a nice. You'll have a photograph of that because they were taking photographs at school of this. It was kind of important. They put people's lives. If you think about, because this play and I still have a photograph of me saluting next to the bust of Lenin. And look at that photograph, and I'm so happy there and smiling and I just think like of the day, As of that day and what happened to Soviet Union. Now, it's kind of makes me sad Alia Bhatt, right? Uh-huh. So it's even though these Goods like the D does and

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whatnot. We're still value that there were still also value in some of the more traditional communist rituals or ceremonies. Yes. Yes, like the red scarf. Like you'd be kind of proud to wear that to school. Yes. Wow, so, let's see. Let's let me before. I want to maybe go into the second half of the show and talk about some of your experiences coming to the United States and have that those experiences may be compared to what you're talking about now, but before we go into that, why don't you give me a little bit of a sense about how is it that you and your family decided to leave the Soviet Union and why? And what was Process through which you did that. Well, since my mom always was kind of very advanced in terms of. Like, she always was interested. What was going on and there were moments. It's Soviet Union. In history, were the borders were sort of a little bit open because it's kind of hard if you think to isolate yourselves for so long, from other world. And In you have to be competing with like a miracle the time. Mhm, and so it was like, it was always this struggle. So at one point, they were this moment when borders were open and my mom always had a dream living in a foreign country. Mhm. That was her dream. And For her kids. And that's I think why we laughed and she had moved a lot or throughout her lifetime. Yes. Yes. What can you give us? Just a little bit of a sense of her her story? Yeah, a little but she was, she was I think born in Belarus Russia. Hmm. And during war. Because because she was, my mom was Jewish and there were a lot of prestige. Because, you know, like Nazi persecuted Jews. And so my mom moved away a lot. And a lot of our family, Amelie. Yes, they were running away from that. Is not my mom was very fortunate because none of her three brothers, and none of her. Her parents died in concentration camps or anything in the war. Even though the summer my one of my uncle's was in the war and he was flying a plane and he was actually shot down. From the plane. And they were he was captured and they were taking them to be shot and He Slipped Away. Oh my God. In the, Under the Bridge. He was very like, if they were, they were, they were very like, a family. Mhm. Be. And part of the reason, is, for my grand grandmother, who I never met fortunate. She died when I was very young, and because she was midwife. Okay, in this. They didn't have any doctors back then, and she kind of helped she was very like, in like, she was a midwife. So she was taking care of the woman who were giving for the Bears to the babies. And she was very well connected with the community community. Yes, and that's kind of help them. And when yeah, people who weren't necessarily Jewish help them move from house to Yeah, yeah, so, where did they go? So she went to never throw it and that's pretty huge. Steel town in near Siberia, right? Yes, and they live there for the rest of their life and my mom kind of decided when she was about 27. And she decided, she didn't like the town, and she hated it all her life. So she moved away to the South. Write a novel choice because pretty much they make the largest steel producing Town. Yes, in the world. Is he right? Or was that sir? Yeah. Yeah. This is not was black because of the pollution. My mom said that the snow in the winter was color of dirt. Oh my goodness. And just for people, people know this would bleed because of the pollution they didn't care about people anywhere. Like, it was like very poor town. People would work like City people would work very hard all their life and they were in the people who were like in charge for competition. It was over competing with America. This is all this Industries. Mhm. And so she, she had enough of the city and decided to move to Odessa. Yeah, which was kind of like the Hollywood of the Soviet Union because that's where all the movies were produced. The cultural center, the yes. Yes, and of the most Cosmopolitan. Perhaps. Yeah. Our least one of them are Cosmopolitan cities. Yeah, and my mom always to retain her identity as being Jewish in contrast to her brothers. Mmm-hmm. Oh, try to assimilate. Yeah, more assimilated. And so she Because of kind of being your mom. Now, we're speaking about when choosing Odessa because of kind of being very politically active, found out about various opportunities. The wave is that yeah, right? Yes. And so, what did, how did, what were some of those opportunities? And well, just about before the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a lot of huge wave of immigration. if you look at them the so Soviet Union history, there were like in 70s because the politics politics in America versus of like there were lots of war with Vietnam and sort of like people in Soviet Union escape to because of that because A from Soviet Union. And in the 70s there was like immigration and in the 90s because it was about Soviet Union's just of us about collapsing. So a lot of people were leaving and do especially juice and they believing 30 and we were just about to go to Israel to because it was my mom was very scared. It was like very scary moment for us. Us my family because they were like neighbors. We knew for years and years were just picking up all their stuff and leaving to yourself. Yeah. And what was she? What did she your mom think? I mean, what were some of her fears like, and at the worst? What was she thinking? Could Happen. PG. And she just said, I think my kids would have been Opportunities in the United States. That what made her move? It wasn't more like she just always dreamed of having her own business and stuff like that. So it was kind of a combination of kind of her, fears of kind of. What historically has happened in terms of the programmes, and also wanting to opportunities for you and your sister. Yeah. And so let me just ask you this real quick, just from your experiences growing up before kind of this crisis emerged. When you were growing up, you know, where their did you experienced anti-Semitism and things like that it from being Jewish and yeah, identifiably. And then and what were some of the ways that manifested itself? Help because my mom always admitted. She was Jewish. I felt like I should be admitting. I'm Jewish in class. And so one of the things that in your passport in Soviet Union, it was always nationality section and there were people would put their nationality and if you were a Ukrainian you would put York Ukrainian and if your parents were Russian, he would put Russian. Yeah, and if you parents Jewish, you would put Jewish. And so since my mom was Jewish. I always felt. I should put Jewish. And every time in class at first day of class. It was like the teacher would take our names, the new teacher we would have and she would ask you, always your nationality. And I would never say I'm Jewish and it was like after that after that, my my classmates would make fun of me for like they would all say all this anecdotes about juice like they, you know, they're kind of making fun of Jewish people being very stingy and stuff like that and it's a very stereotypes and jokes and oh, yeah, and so I have kind of It was very hard for me. I had very big problem, is that it's growing up. Like, I couldn't, I didn't know what to say. My father was Ukrainian. My mom is Jewish for but my mom always said that to taste with like stick to being Jewish. I had a no my father never care about being Ukrainian. Yeah. Never cared about his own identity, right? And so Because they told me at Union was so controlled by Russia and Russia controlled Ukraine so badly because Ukraine was one of the wealthiest States next to the Russia. Mhm, you know, Interesting. So because of a grain growing was very agricultural. It dependent, Russia depended on Ukraine, a lot for bread, vegetables. So and then part of the reason why you were able to go is because of perestroika, right? Yes. Yes and Gorbachev. So allowing. Yeah more freedom of movement for Jews. Yes, definitely. Thanks to garbage. Sheriff and Reagan when they're like meetings and serve that. That's when we were allowed. Right? Well, I think we have a move to United States. We have a piece of music piece. Maybe this will be familiar to you. We're going to take a quick break, and then we'll come back and we'll talk about your move to the United States and what that was like, and if you want to give us a call during the break and ask any questions, give us a call at 368 2208. That was the Red Army chorus and I believe that song there. We just played, let me just get it all mixed up here. I believe that was the Soviet army song from the Soviet Army Corps celebration 30th anniversary of the end of World War Two, sung in Russian and Boris. Alexandrov was the conductor. So we are in Yo is Svetlana. We do have a question. A collar and has a question. Hold on. Caller, you're on the air. How are you? What's going on? Good, how are you doing? People talk about these things. Lana, my name is Svetlana. I got a rush every summer and it brings, you know, I go to the red square and really brings tears to my eyes. You know how, I see how we see how everyone living with unity and freedom of speech, freedom, wherever they want to go. It's really unbelievable. They turned around the entire system over there. Thanks to Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Okay. Do you have a question? Yes, and he was I happen to be Jewish and these are the trials and tribulations that you were talking about. I feel truly ironic because, you know, we all we all went through this this season and when I go to, when I go to Russian to start over, where did you? Where did you come from him? I'm from Odessa Odessa. I'm from Ukrainian. Ukraine Odessa, oh, that's a really understand what this means for yourself. Can you repeat that? Yeah. Can you repeat it for work? Address this lat Slava. One more time. Yes. Yes. Slavica Pacers. Yeah, how about how about it? It's kind of hard for me. Say that one more time. Okay, well as she can't understand, it's a little bit hard to understand with the speakerphone here. So No, she's right here in the station. But anyways, any other questions that our listeners out, there might be interested in. I think that's basically it and have a great day. All right. Thank you for calling bye-bye. Alright, so we are here with Falana and we're sitting here talking about her experiences growing up in the Soviet Union. And we're just about to talk about coming to Cleveland, Ohio. So you came in into Cleveland in 91 and you were able to leave the country in part because of the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev. Yes, and because of your mom's efforts to, you know, pretty much a pretty extraordinary efforts to kind of obtain the visa to leave, right? Yes. Yeah. Extraordinary efforts. It was when I was leaving Soviet Union. It was a lot of people living. It wasn't just my family. And I remember going to check my passport. We will have to serve, like give up our citizen, Soviet Union, citizenships with will still consider being traitors of the Communist party and we were going there and was like, almost like lots of people. Remember coin and staying in line because every week, they would give so many number of passports and there were so many people wanting to leave. So they were overbooked and they were over working this. People working in Immigration and Soviet Union in adesso in the And they were whole. Like area in the park for every summer. They would call so many number of people and you would have to go every day and to make sure you number is advancing and like not being lost and if they call you number for couple times. And You want there to say? Yeah, I'm here. Then they would eliminate you number because you weren't there. I move on to the yeah, so that they can give people passport holder, really wanted to leave. The country was very, very emotional for me for every. It was first three months. We would go and do that right every week. So you are morning. All right. We have one more caller here. Caller, you're on the air. Yes. How you doing? Thank you. Yeah, I wanted to ask what's up? So if you think the their way it's a total democracy Now are still the still a lot more work to be put into know. I think there's a lot of freedom of speech and freedom of religion and everything like that. Is it is there a lot of like animosity towards Americans or or it's getting better? Well, I think there's still a lot of work will be have to be done. Okay. Thanks for your call. I think it's very interesting question. He was asking and I think Think there still would be have to be a lot of work to be done, sort of like so that the Russian people can get used to being. I mean if they want to move forward. What is America like, right? Well, let me know, let's get into that for a second because I we spent probably about 40, close to 45 minutes and one of the more interesting parts of that. I want to kind of get into here. Is kind of your experience is coming to the United States, because you've given kind of a critique of what life was like in Russia, but you've also recently decided to move from the United States in part because you can't stand living here, right either. Yeah, kind of ironic. It's being my mom all her life, a dream coming to United States. And me. I think, one of the reason I cannot may be there. I'm, I lived in Cleveland all My after coming to United States, we lived in Cleveland and I could never as a person, I could never get used to having car. All my life. I have a driver license. I passed all the exams and I could never afford. Like, I'd never want to drive a car everywhere and I cannot get used to living. Like I am always used to live in a city. And the city is the center and in Cleveland is more like people go to work in Cleveland than Town. Leave like somewhere in Shaker Heights or Beachwood nice like houses and a lot of Lon and I never could use to that kind of Lifestyle. So right in because of the isolation isolation people and there's yeah now that's what I call me one story once about actually, Fine. When you and your mom flew to the United States, and your sister, just the three of you care. Yes, and you didn't have any money, but no. You flew to New York City. And you didn't know where you're going. They stuck you on a plane to Cleveland. You didn't even know where Cleveland was. No, no. No, it was like flying the Hopkins. Yes. And what was and what was it? Like when you came in to Hopkins and you show it was next day. It was very warm day. I remember when we were moving away from Soviet Union, the Moscow, it was set a and was so cold and we were coming to Cleveland. It was summer here. I mean, it was like a warm weather and we were like, wow, I mean, this is us who never saw the doors opening by themselves, you know, and then they report you suddenly see that the doors open by themselves. It was like, oh, wow, that's amazing. That's cool. And I remember going to magic store. For the first time. Uh-huh. Oh, wait, wait one quick question. So what about like when you are driving through? Maybe just like in your taxi cab. Oh, yeah, like, what were you thinking? Like, what were your responses from? Like seeing like what was going on? Oh my God fever. It was very interesting. I was, I still remember that right from Cleveland, was very interesting because we were coming to Cleveland and it's sort of like the American In town, that's what and we were like so shocked. It's not what we used to see it on TV. Like in America in Soviet Union. They would have a foolish like of New York City and that's how we saw them, all. I'm Erica was right. And what about then leave was like all the suburbs and we sewed, we got into some Village and not the town because it was so deserted. Yeah. So desert and there were no people And I remember working outside taking first walk with my mom in America. It was like so scary. We didn't know where we were and people. No people. No people people in the cars in beer. Like where is the people? And the amazing thing is the funniest thing I think about this is that you were actually on Coventry. Yes, which is really where the most people are and like if you want to go by and be people, you go to Coventry. Yes. If it were 28:20, Mayfield, Road leaving, right? I'm a true right on the corner and but we were not working towards the common tree. We were walking up to the may fall towards the Park. Yeah. Yeah, and there were no people if you've ever worked for an hour and there is no people outside on the street, and my mom says, oh noes, let's go back. And so we went back to our apartment and that's what's Mike first. Taking world first understanding of America, like a first chakra depressing shocking impression. It was like just I couldn't believe that's not what the I moved for I think and why you came here in a Min add to the store like the medic and yeah medic drugstore. It's still on commentary and it's amazing commentary. Sort of like changed over 10 years so much. If used to, I used to like commentary a lot more when it used to be in the back days when they were like you can walk outside they ever become was open and they were all this pain culture. It was like a meeting place of all this culture and then they started to Reviving commentary into this middle class. Surf. I like attracting more middle-class to the Coventry, like, who would like, to Mind you there and it's changed. And it became a lot less comfortable in like home. And yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Now, I've awoken and Coventry and there's no more like that culture, that was there. Like, hang out at Tara, because there were some Russian people hanging out at Arabica Russian boys, almost kind of attracting laughs. Right? So so I mean that's Something I think just this kind of level isolation. So people talk. I knew about the The freedom of speech and all that that was going on in the Soviet Union are not going on or whatever. That that here. It was. Another issue is an issue that everyone was driving their cars and their automobiles. There was no people. There was no I mean so to some extent it's not may be able to talk but there's no one to talk to because no one's on the street. There's no public culture. Yeah, and I remember going to the store once with my mother. We Enter store from one side and then exited from another. We were like got lost and didn't speak English too. Well, and I was like, very smaii felt a little bit. We asked five people and they couldn't understand our question, very smooth old and they felt like is one of the hugest Street. I don't like looking for hours right next to the May fold. Now another Question, I have. And I've talked to your sister about this before. But yeah, I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on this on while you are in in Russia. Clearly. There were some issues in terms of anti-Semitism. Yes, but when you are here in the United States, where there are issues about anti-immigrant, are anti-russian, you know, yes, your face kind of perception in that way. Yes, I go after coming from Soviet Union. I was in sort of high school age and I went to a very Jewish Orthodox school at Hebrew Academy of Cleveland by Taylor Road, and I'm very grateful for going, that's cool. I think I learned about Jewish tradition a lot. But at the same time, learning about Jewish tradition in that school, I sort of felt like, all this American girls were like us. They were Jewish but American and but there were Russian girls who were Jewish too, but they were from Russia and they're sort of like cling together. They weren't so really just like as American girls and and they were sort of like together. And then there was a group of this American girls who were Jewish Orthodox and they were together and we're sort of like had this problem mixing in that school, too. To all the growth like the didn't want to becomes like them and we didn't want to be in there. Like so impressed our culture on us and we want to push it away. There was all this tension in our school. What were some of the ways he felt like they impose things on you like, um, well I was agreeing to school rules. If you would like in their school. It was heart attacks. Jewish school, you had to wear a skirt. In school, that was covering your knees and you had to wear a shirt that covering your elbows and I was agreeing to that because if you like until the institution you have to agree to the rules. Sure, but there were some Russian girls who wanted to wear shorter skirts, and they would come to class a little bit score, skirt about their knees and they were like being yelled on and then there would be this. Russia girls would be crying. Telling the, the skirt is not that long short, and one of the think was, which I so disgusting was one of the Jewish teacher actually started acts taught us how to shave our legs and how to use deodorant. And like, so we wouldn't stink all the American growth somehow. So that Russian clothes were very smelly and not as beautiful. The fullest like sort of like and one of the lessons who was how shaving, how to use a razor and shave your legs. And I will never forget. It was too Jewish teacher, who was at the Docks and she and they were like themselves, like So into this religion stuff and suddenly they teach us how to be. I felt like I being discriminated there and I remember some girls were so upset after the Russian girls were just so upset about because we like felt like the school costed money and they didn't pay was for free up for us and all the mail controls used to criticize us for being so ungrateful. You know, for our sort of Education in Jewish religion. And one other thing, I think your sister talk to me about was, how while you are in the Soviet Union. You have learned that really your math. Your education was very quite good. Yes, that she actually knew calculus when she was 14. Yes, and then when she came to school here, they wouldn't allow her to learn any math. Yeah. We were supposed to be. We didn't know English that well and serve like we were put together in a class with all these Russian to learn English, 24 hours. Like it was English English, English and religious studied, for days and days. And we serve got behind this American System of Education. Okay. Well, we have a caller on the line. Caller, you're on the line. I'm here. Oh, shoot, accidentally. I pressed the wrong button. Please call back. I believe this caller actually went to Hebrew Academy as well. So give me a call back. I that was my mistake. We have a little sometimes problems here because the way the phone system where, so, here we go. I think he's, he's back on. Caller, you're on the air. Hello. The Hebrew Academy is a very pretty juice that they let the girls in for free and the boys because hot watches that give them everything they could watch. Yeah, and maybe the girls they felt that you were a little different because it came from Russia and us as far as the Russian Russian mentality is totally different. So it's hard for them to blend in. But I know plenty of girls that they actually took a little while, but they're Blended. And then they went to actually having a high school, right? And we, yes, that's what I want. Yes, but it takes a little time. When they come over off the bow of the boat, you know, pardon. Pardon my English, they say they do have the Russian odor and they have the whole Russian mentality.

00:54:03.600 - 00:55:56.800

Yes. That's so okay. Hey, thanks for your call. We're gonna let her answer that. So that might be kind of part of the kind of anti-russian mentality. Yeah, you know, I didn't think that, I could still disagrees it. Cake in Russia woman, didn't shave their legs? Sure. I mean, is that that has nothing to do with the religion doesn't mean there's nothing in it. You have to shave your legs. Oh, you smell good. That you're supposed to put a dick alone. I get this again with some Architects. People didn't want to see it next to me because I was thinking, then that's their problem. It's not my problem, because I mean, I was taking a shower. Shower. And I was, I mean, God, that's exactly. Kind of what your point was about. What things at your table, know how to use eraser. I didn't at the age of 15. I didn't shave my legs now, ever. And I didn't know how to use a razor and you still don't shave your legs after learning how to use. Yeah. That's why I kind of verb. Yeah, and I kind of feel like being a Jewish girl and I'm going to hear back at me. I agree. I got all the good things from him. I don't know about the traditional rules. I'm very familiar, how women are supposed to behave in when Jewish society and are the Ducks way, but at the same time, I kind of I don't want to criticize too much Hebrew Academy because it was like, I'm very grateful for what they did for me. But it's kind of

00:55:56.800 - 01:13:44.400

interesting to that attitude that cute you came here like, with you. First of all, you came here and you your mom had worked all her life. Yes, and she came here and didn't have anything to show for her work. She had no money at all. When you came here. And when you were in the Soviet Union, all school and education was free. Yes, and so now you are supposed to. I'll send be grateful for the fact that you have access to education. Yeah, and it's almost like it's like a A charity that you have, you got it. I mean, that must have been kind of a problematic. Yeah, it was very hard for me because they were saying don't go to public school, it Hebrew Academy. They were always so don't go public school. There are drugs. There are people doing that. This every I was very scared to go to public school. My sister left Hebrew Academy and went to public school and I stayed behind. I finished, he became, I I have a diploma from Hebrew Academy, one is blue, and one is white. And I have ear book. And I look at back, I look at what the girls wrote about the American growth because they were all leaders of this organizing the yearbook. And I look at back at that yearbook and I read what she wrote about me and throughout the years. It's kind of helped. Me too. Get maybe my American College of Education, claiming Institute of Art in that in industrial design. And a lot of that was prompted by kind of your mom's pushy, not because of what you learned the key, but it's also Jewish as a Jewish religion teaches us education is one of the very important, sure in the learning and learning Torah and learning rules. Got her job. Yeah. Yeah. Because we were like woman and woman. Ours have set rules, like gay married. All my high school friends, American ones. And some of the Russians are married. Now and Mazel Tov to them all. I hope they have a happy marriage and lots of kids and I'm not married and I'm just engaged. Ha ha ha, maybe, but you're not gonna have kids. Hopefully, no not. So Soon. No, no, but I do want to have, maybe one or two, of course not like 10. Like I said, right. Yes, religion, Jewish religion teaches us. Well, we are nearing the end. We've had. I think a very kind of stimulating conversation about what's been going on. Both kind of your experiences in the Soviet Union as well as the United States. I think what are the interesting things about that? Is that in kind of look? Yet some of the negatives about about both as well as some of the positives, you know, it's I think I just named Viewpoint and perspective that you can provide on both both societies which tends not to be the case. You know, our World War Two our Cold War mentality, still things to be kind of strong but I think that's it's something that's important. Needs to be heard. I would like to say Dan and Kris. I would. Like to thank them for doing such a wonderful job and they keep you have Frost radio and thank you for having me on your radio talk show and we both wish you safe travels on your trip, this Friday to London to be with your fiance and hope that you know your your education in your, you can use put your industrial design in your ceramic skills to good use. Thank you. All right. Well you've been listening to Sorry about that. You've been listening to frost radio. We come at you each Tuesday from 11 to 12 and specialize in Street, Theory and cultural Alchemy. Stay tuned. I think we have somebody lined up here and we're going to leave you with another song by The Red Army. Chris, can you tell us which song you have? Queued up here? Yes, this is Free Will by the Soviet Army chorus and band. Fantastic. Have a good week. Hey, this is frost radio. We're back again, part of the up. I'm sorry. I interfere out here. Home tomorrow. We're back. This is for us radio and sorry for interrupting. I like. Or that I am. I didn't realize that song was at a silent point in the song or whatever. You call it tracker. Peace. Peace. I guess it's the right word for high culture. So we're back in studio here with myself and Svetlana. And we have a little bit of a reprieve more time, to talk. And I know there was a collar out there who had called and wanted to compare prison experiences, I believe. Chris is so if you want to give us a call back, we might be able to get you on that on air. And I believe there were some comparison of prison experiences. Someone want to talk about between perhaps one of the Eastern Bloc countries and the United States. So we were talking about all kinds of fun things like smells and and body here. And as it relates to the Torah and all those sort of things. Right. Yes, so but you you did get an education and you have always been kind of a. We kind of got into this a little bit. You went to CIA and also have an art degree in industrial design. I'm very happy. I went to that school. Thanks everybody there who work? And I'm I think I got very good education from Cleveland State of art. Right? Right, and that's something going up. Your father, had a lot of input in terms of teaching you how to be an artist and do painting and all of that just a little bit. But mostly, my father, didn't come to America with us. It was me. My mom and My sister first three of us and I haven't been back to Russia or anywhere. I was growing up. I've been to Israel, but I haven't been back to Soviet you to where I've from for 10 years. I haven't seen my father for ten years to and I am, I am happy where I am right now in my life and sure. One thing in this might be a little difficult to talk about, but it is I just want to ask you about it. Then you can tell me if you want to drop it or not. Go there. Okay, and that's kind of talk a little bit about your mom's experiences coming over to the United States. And yes, her mom who was a wonderful person is recently passed away, but she was always an entrepreneur. Yes. Ugh, our baby. I think I'm kind of. Hopefully, I will follow my mom's dream and raise my kids Jewish, and sure, and always keep the tradition of being Jewish to the best of my abilities. Mhm, but I don't want to become a heart attacks at the moment, even though I finished art Jewish school and everything. I know about lots of Jewish traditions and I would like, My mom came to United States. She was 50 about 50 years old and it was hard for my mom. She was with two teenagers teenage girls and both of us went to Hebrew Academy. And my mom was Sort of trying to learn English and sort of keep us out of trouble. And it was very hard hard life for us for about five years. I would say we we struggle a lot to be in the United States to get dream education. My sister finished law school and became a lawyer. Two years after coming to United States. My brother came. He became a doctor. He dentist. He's now working as a dentist me getting degree and even hard work. I mean we worked hard, but it was always been you. Money is always at the beginning very issue. But my mom always thought education is very good investment. And I think she was always right in that sense. Now, one of kind of help us move. One of the big irony is, I think is that your mom was very in many ways successful entrepreneur and the Soviet Union a successful businesswoman. Yeah, in the Soviet Union Jewish, but that once he came to the United States, it became a lot more difficult for her to actually do business because she didn't speak English to the best abilities that require to be a business person. And plus he's kind of the, I mean, in a lot of ways. It just seems that the barriers to get into business for much higher here than in the Soviet Union. Yes, the you have to have all the regulations and rules followed to open a restaurant to open anything. And to the extent, the rents are extraordinary and, and the public culture, like you're talking about the number of people on the streets. Just They're to be able to do the things that she was doing in the Soviet Union in terms of Cleveland setting up the market on the side on the corner, or the newspaper stand. Or yes that it in fact that was just, you know, even though we supposedly live in a free market culture that she wasn't able to enter the market place here where she had been able to do that. So Union, Wow, well, here's a caller. We have on air and I believe collar want wants to talk about some of the ironies of prison life. Caller, you're on the air because he said that he had lived in the in the Eastern Bloc area didn't say which ones. He said, never in his worldly travels. He had he been treated as poorly as a human being as In the United States,

01:13:45.100 - 01:42:52.200

he wasn't allowed to have a cigarette and they, yeah, they take your laces out of your shoes and he just felt humiliated in this country and he said that would never happen over there. And I was wondering if that's like true or if he was just like really mad at the time. Well, in here, we'll take that off the air. Thanks. Thank you. I would like to thank you for calling and turns for that crashed and I would say, yeah, it's kind of In Soviet Union, if you go to the prison, it's much more. I think relaxed environment because the people would be allowed to have shoes on and cigarettes and stuff like that. If you'd if they people if the guards saw you you don't want to harm anybody or you have no intentions and you don't have any weapon. They would give you all this stuff. Like if you ask for cigarettes, you would be allowed to have a cigarettes and, and they hadn't just out of curiosity. Had you visited, the, prison's, why you were young. Did they take you to prisons and stuff? Um, no, but I, I had lots of friends in area where I was growing up. A, lots of, I sort of knew, couple people who parents were fathers were out of Reasons right. Couple kids in my class and they talked about the experiences. Yeah, and the kids talked about in class about their fathers, being in prison in Soviet Union prisons. Mhm. And for what I'd have crimes. They were like four tracks. Because there was insufficient Union, there were drugs to Sure. Aha, like what if I was the drugs, people use the heroine heroine the yes, Harry and Jax, uh-huh cocaine cocaine. Oh, yeah. I mean the even though you didn't think about like Soviet Union now marijuana's. Yeah, there were illegal drugs tests and there was a family living next door across to us in their whole Malika destroyed by with the heroin, wow, uh-huh, tracks. That's kind of where your father was. So, yes the drugs. Yes. So always brainwashing. Me. And my sister for not smoking and that doing drugs. Well, that's probably a good thing. Yeah. So heroines not something you want to make sure that sort of like But this kids would come to school and then they would discuss about like their father being in jail. We're interesting and you would have a kid next to you kid who is Father is like in charge of high Factory, you know in Russian that kind of gets it's something I wanted to talk to you. Interesting about the education is that you had like you talked about some of the inequities Inequalities, which there were in the Soviet, yes, but at the same time, there are also kind of those interesting things. Like, on one hand, you and one neighbor would be a drug dealer. The next neighborhood. Be that ahead of a fact, director of a factory. They all lived together together together. Yeah. Coming to the United States. Is that was that something that kind of ever? What do you think about? And inequities are inequalities. Here are like that ever strike you from? Yeah, I think United. I was when I came here tonight. I always had a picture of the United States is growing up and I always remember thinking about well, how does the people lie? I know how people lived in Soviet Union. I mean, I always thought about how does people live in the United States because you always hear heard about America doing this America. So evil, and they gonna like kill you. And we had the exercise like it's cool. In case they Dropped a Bomb, America dropped a bump on us, right. We would know how to run into the shelter. We have those too. Yeah. And sort of like that and but I was always interested like, in my personally. How does the average like just little girl, like me would leave in America and, and coming to America and I was For me, it's sort of like learning a whole new culture. And and since I was The Outsider and so far, I could see the difference between black kids inner-city and black kids outside the city. I think Jewish people living art attacks people how they live and how Russian Jew sleeve and how people tried To keep even though they trying to learn how their education is different. Like how people go to public school, but kind of inner city, the cake. What kind of they get education? What kind of education people get in private school. Like I got, what? Kind of my sister? Got at Heights High. Yeah, I'd occasionally. So it was, it was kind of a new kind of level learning all. Yeah. So while in the Soviet Union's and what might Looked up upon because they had the shoes. Yeah, it was it was much more kind of segregated by class plus and people money had very I mean while not to say you all had access to the same resources and access to the same education levels are institutions. But yeah, that there were whole different ways and maybe even more intense ways that people work inequalities here. It seems accurate. Yeah, I think America is very segregated country. Even though they all say, oh, we want to live together for for like, one of the Martin Luther King. I had a dream speech and I think it's from being outside of the United States. I mean, it's true, every people tried to preserve their own things. And they serve segregate themselves. Yeah, and sort of become discriminative. I don't know. But I think I'm Erica is very segregated even like they say it's melting pot of cultures at the same time. I don't you don't really buy it. No. Well, it does seem to me that, you know, there is a recent Trend here to have mixed income housing, especially in the city, but it seems like almost like Like the attitudes are those who push that are very similar to the attitudes of people who were in your school system are going at the Hebrew Academy that will have poor people live next to us, but they have to smell nice. They have to look this area and they have to take care of their yard in a certain way. And the funny thing is a lot of times, these rich people will move into a poor neighborhoods because these are the new hip neighborhoods and then they're going to start passing. Housing code violation forms out to get their neighbors because there's not enough. There's paint chips on the how I mean, it's kind of like the same phenomena. I really. I really I could personally when I moved to United States first time and I saw, oh my God, like all this neighborhood with like perfectly manicured Lawns. Like so green. And this beautiful trees growing and this perfect. We painted houses. I mean to the Perfection that you can add, I even never saw the pain, can be late like that. And I thought, um, I was so in love with that idea for a while, but then it's sold. Can you imagine living in that? Same houses people like having right next to you the same color door and I was like, oh my God, I would be lost if I like I start thinking about That and I would be thinking I would be lost there if you person will go to this place and they don't know it somebody and they would be lost for a long time to find because they all look the same like the true you always like when we drive around you said today, this neighborhood looks like The Truman Show, they're like Cookie Cutter houses and yeah, not to mention. Really. I mean, the quality. What are we like, they Cost a lot of money and I agree and they built like in the center of Cleveland. And right next. I personally prefer people personally from preserving their own identity and celebrating their differences and and I am for for people to have equal opportunities, but I don't think if somebody will say russian girls are so Malli, when they came from Soviet Union then and they won't sit next to me because I don't. Sorry, smell Gucci perfume. Then that's fine with me. And it's really a class thing. That was it seems to me a class thing that was going on because as you said earlier, there is no basis in religion. No, not really Orthodox to be fair to, I'm sorry. I couldn't afford Gucci perfume. So yeah, that's interesting. Just a little aside, one thing. I was thinking and just to backtrack a bit, was I, I am as personally, I am taking care of myself as high. Gee, thanks to the Hebrew Academy. She doesn't think very much right now. I probably smell moment. We are in a studio space here, and I do get accused by. My co-conspirators of being excessively smelly so I can relate to that. So well, it looks like we are nearing again. Once again, we're getting towards 12:30 and I'm assuming that there's another Show lineup. I don't want to promise that until we actually find out but you have been listening to frost radio and Added addition today and we've been talking to Svetlana building Kaya, and this is Dan, who's the host co-host of frost radio? Thank you for listening. Thank you. And they do so well, definitely, any last words you want to say out to the? I would like I would like last song to be played. We played all the Russian songs, like, sort of communist, but I think I want to Play the last song to be Jewish song. Okay, and I'm gonna say hello to a, if they are listening to all my Hebrew Academy France and Cleveland still on fire people. Hello, and thank you for listening. All right, and I'm not exactly sure. Let's see if I can figure out what's been queued up. Actually. I'm not sure if anything's been queued up by my my co-conspirators here. No. See what happens when you have to rely on other folks here. Let's see when she look and see if you find a good good track to play and whilst Svetlana looks for something. Okay. Oh, there it is. We found it. And I want to also leave you with and say happy May Day because tomorrow is May 1st International workers day in commemoration of the Haymarket massacre in Chicago, which is kind of interesting fact is that, while the world, celebrates the memory of the Haymarket Martyrs, from the United States, the United States as of yet. Does not celebrate the international workers day and the memory of these workers on Haymarket Square. So with that said, do remember, it's May 1st tomorrow, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday. See you next week. Well, I guess I do. Hey, guess what? This is frost radio going on extended. We've got an extended show here today and fortunately we have such an interesting guest today. Svetlana and this is Dan and we've been talking about her experiences growing up in the Soviet Union and moving to the United States and all of that. And we twice thought we were going to Wrap up the show, but because of the Good Fortune of way things work, we've been able to continue on our conversation. I think it's been fairly interesting. We just played for you track off of mysteries of the Sabbath classical cantorial recordings, and I blew a believe. We just played a piece the track from Eight by Pierre pinchak row. So the shadows and that's why it sounded a little scratchy because it was actually a recording originally done in 1928. So we're here with Svetlana Bell and Kaia. And again, this is Dan host, the frost radio. We're going to go until I guess we can talk no longer. So I one of the things I didn't actually get to say I Was thinking about it. And now that we have our reprieve recently. I read a this Soldier knits and peace. I can't for some whatever reason. My mind is not allowing me to remember the title. It's a very famous book, he wrote, and he's talks about his own experiences in the prison. This is actually refers to what the caller previously talked about. We're talking about cutting some of those interesting stories about your friend's parents. it is in prison, but it just struck me reading about his discussion about life in prison about how every single thing he talked about about how kind of in many ways really compelling and interesting and stimulating experiences with in prison that he was able to experience, are all forbidden in the United States that None of those things would be allowed in a super maximum-security prison here in the United States. Where would be complete isolation? And you may be able allowed to get out of yourself or you know, a very brief period of time but you wouldn't be able to talk to anybody. It's kind of interesting because from what you're talking about like that way that the prison systems are organizing and structured are in some ways, kind of reflective of the way. The society is as Whole our structure because really your main critique. I think of the United States is just how isolating it, you know, how you can go out and live in this beautifully painted house, which yeah, with these perfectly manicured Lawns, but there's nobody on this street, you know, yeah. And that, they would have a nice car, right? Parked their driveway, which is so mean. I don't know. If it's a good or bad thing, but the one of the thing is it's going on it. I'm certified going to go to London. And one of the thing is just General Motors is coming up with new this and new highways sort of like controlling the traffic. How like I since I'm industrial design. I'm very interested in a new things. At this being invented. Sure. And part of being in Dutch Church desire incident not outside, but also questioning what being invented. If it's a good for people or if it's bad but the same things that are decisive similar in United States like traffic people in the cars, and it's happening in England to and And General Motors is now like, Oh, how we solving this problem of traffic, even people still to buy a cars, but the then we don't want them to sit in cars. So the trying to come up with like all these computerized highways sort of going to control, how much cars around the roads and stuff like that. And I am personally question that if it's to the one that to have in England, too. To do away with the tunnel are to privatize. What do they call it? Underground to you or whatever? Yeah, underground system. I would really think it's one of the best. And I am I having driver license and I studied how design the cars. I took a couple classes and and I am not sure that the cars are best solution for P for moving people around, and I do believe that. Then the ground is, I am preparing being a passenger instead of the driver on the train of the transportation. The subway system underground being the subway system of London. Yeah. See you kind of referring to how the trains in the street cars have been replaced by By these automobiles. Yes. In though. It's the still kind of interesting to me to see, like, how American, it's a very American that I think. Believe is like living somewhere else, commuting to work in England. Is this kind of happening to right now? And, you know, a little kind of at least what I've heard. I've never been to Moscow, is that there are they have our subway system is just absolutely beautiful. It's like you're in a, you need to use them because the subway system was built in Moscow built by prisoners. Fond of the. If you got one to prison in Russia, you would be put to work and you put be put to work to do the most dangerous, unhealthy jobs of people, kind of like what we have are homeless and day, labor population, doing here in the United States. Yeah, and one of the things is that the and this Metra math in Moscow was built by prisoners of Soviet Union like in Soviet Union whenever I think it was in a who it is. It was when I was in Moscow. Going for interview to American Embassy in, I still have a photograph of me on red square with my mom because my mom said its historic moment. We have to take a picture here because I remember it was cold and it was an act. Birth, I was very cold, the me, and my mom in Moscow. It's called the nectar brain video. We were from south of edessa and I had to go be interviewed in Embassy because I was old, one of the oldest kids that was going with my mom to America and it was very cold and we were, there were a lot of people Pending in Embassy in David allowed. So many people into the embassy and me and my mom would like stay in line. And then I would go out to the store right on the, not far, because American Embassy wasn't far from red square. And we would have would be in the store for a while to get myself warm and then it would come out and I would stand in line and then my mom would go into the shopping center walk. And so, if to get herself warm, and that's how we got into the empathy for interview. Remember because you had to be at a certain time there and it's the lion was just I mean, you couldn't believe it incredible. Yeah, and we had to like wake up at seven o'clock six o'clock because we had the interview was at the lemon and they were because it was so many people. You had to be there, you know, in the morning and they were allowing so sad. So many people inside the embassy, right? It's just too crowded. I mean there were And when I thought I have here, is we have about maybe 20 minutes to go here, and it struck me. One thing we haven't really talked about, is kind of the consumer cultures. Both of the societies. We kind of touched on some of them and obviously the cars relate to the consumer culture. But you know, what, what were both kind of some of your experiences in terms of the way one goes about shopping. In the Soviet Union compared to the United States as well as as maybe some of the types of goods and the qualities of those goods both in terms of food and other types of things. Well, I think in Remembering something like right now, I'm wearing gold during that was bought by my mom long time ago, and it's from Soviet Union and its really interesting to me to see that. Like there's a lot of products made in China in in. So, in America in here and there that most of them are just such a poor quality because they're quite Innovative in themselves, but the very poor quality, because it seems like they are very Speedy made to have, is you have to produce very fast in order. You have to make very fast malt in order to for product to be new. New and to be fastly produced and serve the how qualities overlooked and you go and I think in Soviet Union, they were high-quality stuff more because they weren't like soy new like they were plates. Maybe met ceramic plates, you know, like can paint they would be sold very cheaply, you know, but they were like, Subsidized by the state. Yeah, you know what? I mean? Because the state is it wasn't a business like. Mmm-hmm. It was just keeping up. Soviet Union culture. Yeah, but the actual math quantity would be smaller. So yeah, right. Yeah, so you wouldn't go to you never find a store. I mean wasn't that one of your first experience

01:42:52.200 - 01:43:57.800

with my God? Yeah, that's like, oh my God. The ladder was the first store shopping store with us. And it was finest right near the Taylor Road. 57 small birds and entering to the store. It was like, oh my God gives you this all this can't all this candy and nobody would even understand some people will just buy them very like in facts. They were just like buying Fuel and stuff like this because you had been kept away from the I'd been so difficult to get. Yeah, and that was one of the things that people really liked, was the chocolates, right? Is that right? The candy? Yeah. Chocolate, the sneaker. I remember, first sneaker in Soviet Union, because a friend of my mom brought that sneaker. The whole irony there. Is that probably because probably the Russian chocolates were higher quality. Well, definitely then Snickers, but yeah, my

01:43:57.800 - 01:45:58.500

father's everybody wanted to make sure that didn't like it. They stood and said it's not good quality. But I remember we were system. We had to share its leg for months and months. Uh-huh. Another, you come to this country in there. You have Seekers Seekers all over the place so you can get and people are having weight problems in Cleveland. One of the like you have. Some people are so overweight because I think not moving. They are in the Cars all the time in Cleveland. That's why you've had the one that upset some people, but established. I think Public Health. Yeah, that the is because they are not moving people, not working. They just, if you buy more, you pay less. That's kind of attitude, is also making people buy buy buy and then you ruin your own hair. Health, and it's I think and at the same time I make is very contradictory Contracting because you buy them and you pay less, but then you create all these people who had started having health problems because they're overweight and right? And then you have to take care of them. And that's the same taxpayers money with a healthy. Yeah. Yeah. Hospitals. Yeah. The mouth of Hell fix. Yeah. Awesome is country. You drive a car. So to work every day, right? And get pounds built. And then the, and then it's very interesting because people pay money to go exercise in the gym, you know, because they pitted that's very interesting because the men are walking like, $400. I mean, then you can just take a walk outside the mean, and that's going to be your membership. You couldn't do it for free. I

01:45:58.500 - 01:57:01.800

never could understand that why? Yeah, instead of like driving you nice Mercedes Benz or Toyota Camry. Right? Right. Yeah, I mean and then I think I think could I do find a suburbs in like in the inner city in Cleveland, very interesting to work. I mean if you tried But it's very strange. Like sometimes I would walk for hours and I would meet nobody. And then the cars would pass me by and start beeping at me, like, all this man would stop and trying to offer me and right. It's all right, and I'm like, I'm just walking on the street leave you alone. And that's, I mean, like am I allowed to walk on the street? Exactly. Yeah, or I should be driving a car because kind of like to scare you into driving. Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm sure they're not necessarily the, I don't know if that's their motivation. They probably want something else but they assume that, if you're on the street, you must be dressed. Like, very like, very conservatively. I'm not, I don't wear short skirts, that sort of opened my behind, right, you know, and it's kind of one of the things that happens when you when the whole public culture and the street life disappears is that in fact the streets become more Safe. Oh, yeah, because they're so abandoned and everyone's in their car. So it's, yeah, it's just kind of a crazy situation II. That's interesting point. That's why I said industrial design and I'm supposed to be desired. I was so I kind of enjoy pay attention to the cars, right? Because cars are for people to be driven and the man in people, look at the cars were. I wasn't an average cars at this best bite, like in America to your test harness and I pay attention, what people buy in England. It's all of my personal. Sure, research to Industrial to desire, how people like just all women and women move fast, you know, we just want to sit down in the car and go but that's what carries offering. But at the same time. P1. That right one? One other question I wanted. Can you get into? We got a little into the chocolate and a little into the car stuff? But what about just like food? Like I mean, not not just the chocolate but like a real food like the chicken and the meat and the potatoes, and the vegetables, like what's the difference in terms of? In terms of how one you would go about, getting those things in like you're you know, like your chicken in the Russia. Yeah. In Russia compared to heal some people grew chickens at home and then they get with the slaughter them and bring to the market. And my father, or my mom would go and buy them in the market from this people who raise the chicken at home, and it would be high quality chickens and then you could Gone to the store and buy meth produce chicken and Soviet Union Farms, sort of co-host, what they called it in. Cal hose and Cooperative. Yeah, cooperative. And they wouldn't be so high quality. And so, but you had the oldest various Mething methods. Yeah, and but I still think the brat in Russia is the best brat. I don't know what they do in America and I still think tomatoes in America. Don't swell like tomatoes and Russia. Are you like? It's kind of strange, but I do remember how tomatoes in Soviet Union. It was like the best debaters and you would go to Finest any with pays a high quality price and get like the best tomatoes and we would still let smell the same way. I don't know and did the food look different. Yes, tasted different and it tasted different like how we eat a lot of a lot of fat fat more fat and people drink more vodka. What color in wine drinking was? Yeah, definitely part of Soviet Union culture, uh-huh, celebrating Russian, do love to celebrate and they get drunk. After celebration will sing all the songs. Yeah, sort of like that. Kind of, it's interesting because you never really find. I mean, it's For if you're an organized chorus, is something like yeah, just people singing like, yeah, it's very interesting how like people celebrate holidays in America because like Thanksgiving, uh-huh. It's like family holiday, right? And it's very interesting. It's very, some people are like houses, you go and they have this torque and they have gravy and they have all this stuff, but they never get like soda. Drunk and starts singing songs, like every song they could everywhere. Ever a little start daddy Sig but in Soviet you I like cold drink for like for Bush Health people did they probably have like again like more and festivals outside? Things like that? Yeah. And then here we'll have periodically a parade. But frequently, those parades people be all in cars and waving from the car. Yeah, it's not like a real Festival per se like where everyone's just partying and dancing and it's interesting maybe the exception of st. Patrick's Day Parade. That may be the only I was Simon hurry and the Red Square on May first ones, uh-huh in this my mother. She took me and he was sweet. Really interesting experience. I will never Ever forget about it because it was her it was supposed to be. One of the section is parade is where in Red Square, if it is where all the people like all the workers serve, march on the red square and they were KGB was lining up. You only allowed for people and KGB was in between the rows. There were people standing to make sure you wouldn't shoot the garbage of and he was somewhere. On the pedestal of sliding like, you know, the red square and I was like, oh my God, it was like, so I was so passionate for me that experience. I'll never forget and he was so far. I just I think I even saw his face because I deliver love each one of them was because he was it's just a little red square is so big. Right? It's kind of interesting how big it is and works. Yeah. And then I didn't even make the strong person to be able to question the way things are, you know? Yeah, and my, my was amazing because the, the factory was were marching. Miz was actually in Moscow and they were, when you entering the Red Square, you were only allowed to be in rows of four, uh-huh, and me, and my mom tried to, like, get next to them. So it would be like, so, but we always were extra people, you know, because it's a Factory would organize workers to go on the red square right now. And there would allow so many people to go then they'd have alternate. Yeah, and we were like extra. Uh-huh. And we had to like sneak in ha ha ha. This husband and wife sort of like like laughed and we were finally for because they were counting the people and they were so marched. If you ever seen the tapes of right? It's interesting companies, the Parade's you would see how organized it is. Right? Every certain woman that would be work is walking from the factory and they would always Sundance when you enter the Red Square. There was a la. Now like the work is from this Factory marching now from that factory and they're celebrating production of thousands of still today. That's my neighbor is the best people who from that type of factory went and it was a special moment. If a special moment for me interested, I am happy my mom and me went but it was amazing. How like the organized is how KGB between four people in there will be kg be standing right, holding each other hand to make sure you there wouldn't be some kind of shooting gun shooting. Yeah, because well, they were always afraid somebody's gonna, you know, by gun. Like a terrorist. Yeah, terrorists. It's a lot of people in Red Square. At one time. You had lots of workers, you know, where me. And then there was a garbage of spending. Well, we've been talking to Svetlana and this is Dan when you've been listening to the extended version of frost radio today. We just been talking about May Day parades on red square and I think we're, We'll leave you with that and hope your celebration of May Day. Tomorrow is a good one. Yeah, and again for the third time we're going to wish us Falana safe travels and we will. Okay. Thanks. And thanks for coming on the air. We'll look forward to getting on the air next Tuesday at 11 a.m. And hope you stay tuned. We're going to close with one last song from the Sabbath and this one is from 1924. So if it sounds a little scratches because that's an authentic recording from 24 by Sophie kertzer and it's could douche.