Alexander & Maria Feht Russian Translations Music of Alexander Feht Russian Poetry by Alexander Feht Alexander Feht's Affordable Stamps "How I escaped from the USSR" by Dimitri Sokolenko Pictures of Siberia by William Sokolenko Music of Alexander Kataenko

While still in the Soviet Union, I decided that someday I would write about my escape. I invented titles for the book, and dreamed about starting it while flying over the Atlantic on my way to America. While waiting for the flight in Italy, I noticed that something strange was happening to me. On the plane, I glanced out the window, and saw the whole of Great Britain below me as though it were on a map. I remember thinking that we were flying too high! Everything seemed confusing. Either normal hepatitis produces hallucinations, or I had contracted a special Indian type. There was no time to become a writer when I arrived in America. I thought several times about my plan. One page was written in the suffocating heat of summer, but the rest was abandoned. I postponed the book until the future when I would be rich and have time to write. In December of 1988, without any obvious reason, I suddenly realized that I should not wait until my retirement to write this book. A very long time ago, I decided to escape from the USSR. One newspaper article claimed that this heretical plan came to me when I was ten. I can't remember saying that to anyone, but perhaps it's true. Of course I would like to explain why I escaped, but this would be much more difficult than simply recounting the story. I don't want to bore you by telling my version of Russian history. I will also skip over my family history, and early education. Long digressions such as these are good for voluminous memoirs, which, as it is well known, no one reads. I will limit myself to the following: I was born in Siberia in the University town near Novosibirsk. I attended the schools like all normal Soviet children; that is, I did not receive any education. I graduated from college like all normal Soviet youths; that is, I learned nothing. I worked for four years in a scientific institute like a normal Soviet young man; that is, I produced nothing. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38