In the midst of the reconstruction, the Americans began to travel to us. At the time, the exhibition "Informatics in the life of the United States" was opened. The line went through the whole territory, it was necessary to stand for three or four hours. Not only were there real computers and live Americans, but they also gave a fresh issue of America magazine at the entrance and the most important thing! Plastic package with pepsicola advertising. At that time, it was valued hardly more than a Louis Whitton bag. I just entered the institute, there was a lot of time, so I was at this exhibition several times.

But I went there not so much for western goods, as to talk to a girl at one of the stands. Jennifer spoke Russian well, she previously practiced at the Pushkin Institute of Russian Language and Literature, which was near our community, she was alive, sociable, interested in Russian history and literature, and she was beautiful. So I spent most of my time next to her stand, along with a crowd of our fellow citizens. Sometimes time was not enough and in the evening, after the closing of the exhibition, we walked around the VDNH.

On the third or fourth day she had to leave for twenty minutes, and she asked to replace her by looking behind the stand.

She left, and the people continued to approach, looking at the exhibits and asking questions. And the questions in general were roughly the same and repeated regularly, the answers to most I already knew.

“What do you have here? »

I explained.

What is the average salary in America? »

“Two thousand dollars.” (I can’t remember the exact numbers)

What is the pension of Americans?

“1200 dollars.”

“What do you think of Solzhenitsyn?”

“He’s a good writer, but he has a very archaic language.”

Sometimes there were compliments: “How well you speak Russian!”

“It’s because my ancestors were from Russia.”

“Are you virtually ours? ! to »

“Well, I can probably say so.”

Some tried to speak English, but I immediately tried to stop such things: "You can ask in Russian, it is useful for me to practice."

And at least one doubted that it was not a real American who was talking to him, but a self-proclaimed man!