Frank Scott Travel Diary Transcription (Jpeg 46)

Frank Scott Travel Diary Transcription (Jpeg 46)

Saturday July 6th 1935

Spent a harried morning at Intourist, CPR and American express. Mrs. Somerset’s visa had not arrived, though she had been promised it months beforehand, and a special cable had been sent to Moscow. But [Shannon?] (?) I [intourist] head after consulting the embassy seeing a letter I had got from [K]ing written by [Miaisky] the ambassador said he would overstep his authority and have the visa ready for the boat. So we prepared.

At 3 pm we went from the Ivanhoe Hotel to Hays wharf and after an hour-and-a-half delay boarded the [RUSSIAN text] (my first words in written Russian!). I had bought a 2nd class ticket, but by the good influence of [Shannon?] was put in a first class cabin with young [Zimbatsky?] son of the violinist. A clean, 2 berth cabin, large porthole on upper deck, 2 large [narrow] cup-boards, a reading lamp that doesn’t work, a totally inadequate wash basin with a thin stream of cold water, and a bunk made like a sleeping bag. [Not as] good as 3rd class Empress of Britain but comfortable.

At 7.00 we had an excellent dinner – caviar, soup, [squash salad], breaded cauliflower, strawberries in whipped cream, coffee.

Before dinner, as we left the dock, the crowd of visitors sang the Internationale with great gusto in English[and] were answered by most of the passengers.

In the evening visited the Red [Corner], [aft] in the ship. This was my first taste of the real new Russia, and in a short half hour one felt a deep stirring of some underdeveloped social instinct . . .

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Continued . . . in oneself. Coming fresh from the Empress of Britain made the experience the more impressive. On that luxury liner everything was done to make life easy for the passengers. The first class lived in splendour the [xxxist] class in luxury (except for the vibrations of the propellers, the 3rd in crowded comfort. But there were no other human beings aboard. Seeing there were about 900 passengers and 600 crew, the omission of consideration for the latter was a pretty big omission. The stewards led lives of slaves. They worked about 16 to 20 hours a day. The boat is no sooner in port in port than it has to be turned round sent on the next voyage. The men get no time off in the week at all for long stretches. The wages of one steward were [monetary symbol followed by 5 – 16 – 6] a month. They live down below in crowded quarters, and have no recreation facilities of any kind. They dress in stiff collars & uniforms, must always be at everyone’s beck & call. At the end of the voyage they wait like an inferior class (as they are thought to be) for the tips that are grudgingly given.

On this boat the men and women had two recreation rooms on the same deck as the 2nd class cabins. The first room had benches and tables the tables had fresh flowers on them. On the walls were mottoes, pictures, photos of the U.S.S.R., and of course the Wall [Sheet]. The latter contained caricatures of humorous, unpleasant or inefficient features in the life of the boat. One cartoon was of a slovenly sailor who stayed on snoring in bed instead of getting up to do his physical [culture] exercises; another depicted the excessive heat of the engine room where the [cooling] fan out of order. A cheery sailor . . .

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Continued . . . described the incidents with much amusement & his comments were translated by a girl whom I had met on the Empress - miss [Lyle Maeth???]. He was sturdy self-possessed and with a most attractive smile: He works 8 hours a day only, in 4 hour shifts. In his spare time he follows a regular course of technical education. He has 7 months on the boat and 5 in the [Technician], at theoretical work (with a stipend of course). He intends to be a marine engineer, though he is now acting as [fireman] – and he knows that the state will give him every opportunity to realize his ambition if he has the ability. Long hours and inadequate pay will not be barriers to cross.

In the inner room was another table and a long bench, with a piano, radio, musical instruments, games of various kinds, and Russian magazines. A large bust of Lenin dominated the room, and pictures of Stalin, Marx, etc.. [hung round?]. A sailor was playing the guitar and others were joining in the songs.

The ship is the worker’s ship. They go where they like on her. They care for the passengers well, because that is their work, but they do not become mechanized slaves in the process. They are co-equal with the people they carry. Their rougher dress implies no inferiority.

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Sunday July 7th

Blot out this day entirely. Mere transport on a rough north sea.

Monday 8th

The calm of the Kiel Canal revived everybody. Enjoyed the air [&] sun & green fields of the close banks. Bought [cheap] cigarettes & brandy at the Baltic exit, Holtenau.

Two events struck me today. One was a conversation with two film workers of the USSR – Vassiliev (who with his brother, also aboard, directed [Chapeyev]) & [Griessler]: the boy & girl [Z] [imbalist], Mrs. Dodge their[cicerone], & a young friend Miss Anderson being present. The Russians were saying how to understand Russia you must live there long enough to sense what the people were after, & that they were not to be judged by their present achievement. [In French] Ca commence,” they said (we spoke in French). They made a point of the absence of wealthy individuals; even if a man made much money there was little I could do for him. There was no danger, they felt, of anyone returning on an accumulated fortune; public opinion was so strongly against this that it could not be conceived of.

The other event was described to be by [Mr. Leschenhart?]. He had been invited to attend a meeting in the Red Quarter, where the other Vassiliev was giving a lecture to the crew on the [aims] of Russian film art. There was no limit to what it [might] do for humanity, he felt, since it was not materialistic.

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CONTINUED . . . It had no commercial ends to serve.

One group of workers on the boat does slave till all hours – that is the stewards or cooks who look after the first class dining room.

Tuesday July 9th

A day like any ship’s day. Waiting for meals, then eating too much, then pretending to take exercise.

It is true that the officers and men mix and play games with the crew at all hours. There is real camaraderie, as far as one can see. A favourite game is a sort of pool played with checkers which have to be pocketed on a small woken table.

Wednesday July 10th

Tonight we had the ship’s concert. It was essentially a communal affair, the audience being drawn [into] many choruses. Folk songs, accompanied by guitars, predominated; then came dancing. A small playlet dealt with two men and one girl – and a baby. There was no collection at that the end – why should there be? Old sailors in Russia do not depend on charity.

A girl on board sprained her ankle. She has been wonderfully cared for, the doctor paying her every attention. Her roommate tells me that coming over on the [Aquitanic] . . .

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CONTINUED . . . a similar accident occurred, and the ship’s doctor was so afraid the woman would sue the company that he paid little attention to her, trying to make out that the damage was very slight.

Thursday 11th

11.30 A.M. Just arrived at my room (241) in the Hotel Astoria, Leningrad. Was up by 7.30, breakfast at 8:00, off the ship by 9.45, [& all] through now. Very efficient handling in every way. And a most comfortable room, considering we are Tourist [or/on?} 2nd class. Really hot water [running] in large [basin]: comfortable chesterfield & table, writing desk & telephone, large wardrobe, four chairs, reading lamp at bedside, rug, all very clean. Good for the USSR!

The first town was a bus-ride [round] the city. Despite a certain lack of fresh colour and paint on the buildings, the general impression is one of great distinction and style of architecture, and of skillful planning – all, of course, pre Revolutionary. The [Unitsky] place is particularly fine. The details of the 1905 Bloody Sunday and of the October revolution were [neatly] explained by the guide – Lenin figuring largely & Trotsky not at all. The Decemberist revolt was described as an attempt to free serfs in order that they might . . .

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CONTINUED . . . become good toilers in the factories of their liberators – no liberalism was to be attributed to the rebels. Thus [do] innocent tourists absorb their Marxist interpretation of history.

The modern apartment house for the former political prisoners released from the fortress of Peter & Paul, with library, restrooms etc., was pointed out, and gave us a thrill.

Then drove past new [dwellings] for workers. We did not enter but [even] from the outside we could see much that was impressive. Houses [on] window sills; courts laid out with grass & young trees; two attractive girls waiving smiling from a window. And [going] in front were these poorly clad workers looking much more drab and depressed than inmates of such buildings should be. It gave an impression – confirmed many times – of squalor fighting a losing battle against the incoming tide of comfort and decency.

The clothing of the people certainly suggests a very low standard of living. But all wear reasonably good shoes and are decidedly not in rags; here & there are persons dressed much better than average.

Women doing physical work everywhere – shoveling sand, laying pavements, sweeping streets. And streets spotlessly clean. Much tidying being done, fronts of homes [scraped], scaffolding [up] buildings, & other signs of improvement.

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CONTINUED . . .

At 12.15 A.M. the [Astoria] produced a good hot bath without difficulty – and if I did have to dry myself in a tablecloth, who cares?

Went to a movie tonight. While waiting for the show to start, we were played to by a 12 piece orchestra – all plucked string instruments then the [horns?]. First the pictures of last May 1 demonstrations. Most impressive. The militarization was technically grand, but where are [socialists?] going? Masses of men marching with fixed bayonets thrust forward – is this May 1st? Boys marching with bows & arrows at the draw. The only symbols were discipline, mass movement, and military strength. Yet at the end the perfect touch – a child [kissing?] its hand to Stalin, who lifts his cup and laughs.

Next came the comedy of Alexandreev. “Good Fellows.” Three rollicking farces in one: first part, entry of live (stork or stosh?] into dining hall, live pigs being carved, cows in bed with fainting women – all most plausibly connected; then a magnificent scene of the comedian involuntarily and [unwittingly] conducting a symphony orchestra; then a dust-up amongst the band in the friendship collective. A Hollywood chorus at the end.

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CONTINUED . . .

Friday July 12th

This morning (miss [Ron] having arrived &Tamara [Ulanova] being attached to us) we visited the [Skorshed] shoe factory, employs 15, 000, produces 13 million prs. per year (before the Revolution, only 3). Some facts about it are: 1. Workers work 7 A.M. to 9.00 then have 10 min. rest, & so on for a 7 hour day with 1 hour for lunch. Runs 2 such shifts & is closed at night.

2. The whole factory is highly mechanized with modern machinery. I noticed a fine instrument from helping in the testing laboratory.

3. The average minimum wage is 200 rubles for ordinary workers, 600 for engineers, but both may go higher – and usually do – with piece work. But engineers and workers may get 2 000 (all per month). But we were told that an old woman, about whom we asked, & who was sweeping floors, might get 100-120.

4. Price of canvas shoes was 25 rubles per pair & of small child’s leather shoes 50 rubles – an average price for typical shoe. This represents a lot for many workers. (compare price of [$} 1.00 for Canadian shoes with workers getting 3 & 4 per week)

5. Each shop has a manager who suggests promotions.

6. Every worker must study (about 3 nights a week) if he is going to improve his technique sufficiently for promotion. This necessarily adds to their working day though the work is not compulsory. Great emphasis is laid on technical training [strongly?}; on one . . .

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CONTINUED . . . floor of a shop we saw Lenin’s words that Labour is the most important part of production, & on the next floor Stalin’s words that [Technic?] will solve the problems of labour.

7. 96% of the workers are unionized.

8. The factory has a house of culture & rest some distance away. It has its own restaurant on the grounds, which we visited: looked very nice, with lots of small tables. The [Shock [brigades] were eating in a special fart fenced off from the rest with either better food or lower prices, we were told. There is also a hospital attached to the factory, with 12 doctors in attendance. We saw clean beds in first aid rooms, and what particularly interested me were charts on the walls (quite natural like) explaining the nature and effects of venereal disease.

Four other points I noticed were?

1. Workers showing cards & photos as they entered & left. A worker being searched by a guard on going out, in case he should be stealing something.

2. Charts in the factory explaining the insides of rifles and air-bombs, to instruct the workers in military training.

3. Numbers of state [bands?] winning prizes, posted up.

4. Nice soft-drink {counters?] – but not free.

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