European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Sets Dave Dow Olga and friends love sailors . And soviet Nav men line up on deck during Goodwill ceremonies that included presentation of gifts foreground to men from the Gates by sailors of soviet guided missile Cruiser slave which was moored alongside the . Vessel in Sevastopol. Ski Avo oink soviet women were fascinated by he sailors and wanted to learn More about them. Is. Davo d american sailors strolling in Sevastopol were greeted by a tide of Goodwill and Friendly curiosity. Bidav Odiehl stall writer a those russian women they re ust Loo pretty Zairi Polly officer 3rd class mall Gentry a Sailor aboard the Cruiser Thomas s gales the talk in the messes of the gales and the Iri Gale Kauffman was Hal there wore just Loo Many women being Friendly. I be never soon anything Tike it in 13 years of going into said one Petty officer who asked not to to named Bui according to the people of Sevastopol a Black sea port in the s the sailors were simply nil by a wave of Goodwill and Friendship. The gales and Paullman brought the Lisl american sailors to Iho soviet Union in More than a decade their visit from aug 4-8 was cause for Celebration residents said tie Young women of Sevastopol were for Iho Lisl Lime tee Ting men from the West for us russian women in is very Minlu isling to gel to know american men said Olga Shirokov a 26 year old school teacher Al the City s school no 43. We love sailors very much said Shirokov. Whose father is a soviet Marine officer Bill to love russian sailors very much too " throughout the four Day port Call pairs of Young women spent hours on the Waterside wailing Lor sailors to come Oil the ships. In the own. If a Sailor was t being mobbed by autograph seekers and Tho curious he was often walking with a woman All you had to do is go up to a girl and ask her to show you around according to Polly officer 3rd class Brad Anderson who said he was approached More than once by women looking to accompany him we were briefed before to pulled in thai they would flirt with us and not have sex in said Tho 23-yt.ai old Anderson. Thai definitely happened " however the Blond Rocky Ford. Col native said you can got some serious looks from the girls walking Down the Anderson who has been to about 16 to ?0 Dill rent ports in his three year Navy career said to has never seen anything like the friendliness of Tho soviet women ii was almost like this in he said but we were Iho first ship there since they closed Iho shipyards Ira Andreyeva a trades school student said Many of the women were fascinated by the americans in White and wanted to be around them to find out More about whom "ii10 not Only american sailors said Rosa Bagdasaryan 59, As she was on her Way to see a concert being Given by Iho 6lh Fleet band in the Park ii is All americans in general the american people Iii knew English i would go to the ship and associate Wilh americans and speak to them. Loo " the sailors themselves brushed aside any notions Hal Iho women or anyone else they met were agents Lor Iho Kab the soviet secret police. They never ask us anything about Tho ship said one Sailor they usually just want to know How to live Kowhal our interests Are How much we get paid " opened Lor purely practical reasons " Sevastopol is one of several soviet cities thai remain Oil limits for most soviet citizens As Well As foreigners sometimes Ilia Kremlin s rationale for closing them is unclear but in this Case it s obvious Sevastopol is the Home port Lor the soviet Navy s Black sea Fleet the americans sailed into Sevastopol to a hero s Welcome but Ordinary soviets must pass through checkpoints if they enter by car or have their documents scanned by patrols in Hoy come by bus or train officially Only close relatives of residents Are allowed in to visit and then Only Lor limited periods of Lime. Residents say the restrictions limit the flow of tourists that might flood the Southern crimean City of nearly 400,000 people and. Like vacationers in Yalta and other coastal cities sweep up what remains on Siloro shelves meat butter and sugar already Are rationed in Sevastopol but by soviet standards things could be much worse Koshkin said he was recently in Vladivostok a strategic port in the soviet far Easl Hal was recently opened up and in terms of produce there s nothing there nothing " As president Mikhail Gorbachev s reforms change Tho Way soviet Farmers and industries do business the country is suffering from growing shortages of Lood and such Basic items As toothpaste soap detergent and Medicine. Official Seal Islic say meat is now rationed in 24 regions of the russian Republic alone soap in 30 regions and sugar virtually everywhere. Stores in Sevastopol ate relatively Well locked with Shorter lines than in Moscow whore an estimated i million Oul of owners come daily to shop swelling store queues and bringing grumbles from Tho locals other closed soviet cities also arc reluctant to Lake Down their Walls Espilo the Kremlin s policy of greater openness according to a report last week the newspaper Indus a socialist Industry in an unidentified space Industry City in Siberia retirees offered to pay Lor patrols to guard the cily rather than allow it to be opened to other soviet citizens it said. It s not hard to understand people the newspaper said it s the psychological Comfort that has accumulated Over the years the stability the extra defense that s guaranteed by that High of gust 14,1989 the stars and stripes Page 15
