European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Leningrad University students take a break to talk and smoke in a courtyard amid the old buildings on Campus. Alpus continued Troni jul Lianas he  made in soviet society calling them Good l it not very  when he was asked if there is someone on the political horizon who would be better he replied with a shrug i Don t see the men in Power that i like very  but despite his septic ism about soviet politics he was not unpatriotic. Though he would love to visit the United , he said he would not emigrate because i love my motherland very  Vema 20 years old and unemployed found us on most of s arbat Street. Exc use me he said. Do you have Blue jeans to Trade or to shirts he had  his i English in school and speaking on the Street to foreigners he said and he was eager to know everything about the United states. What is the latest popular film the hot musical group which american cars Are the Best and . Bean is a very Good firm in t it i to other Young muscovites University students Irina 21, and Anja in think americans Are very interesting  their Hopes for the future Are similar to those of Young adults All Over the world to finish College to travel and look at other  and to go to America the dream of every  i Here have been improvements in the soviet Union under Gorbachev they said now there Are Freer words but the stores remain empty. Two Young american soldiers on the tour spent most of an afternoon exploring Moscow with two soviet teen agers. One of them spoke such Good i English that if you gave him an american passport you could t Tell he was russian one go said. At i Leningrad University 20-year-old Kyrill Solon Ian s English was also Good enough to shame two language Lazy americans. It was not just that it was grammatically Correct and accent free. It was also his third foreign language he also Speaks mandarin chinese and japanese. He was Uncertain about the future but not about his opinion of the United states i like  of course he wants to travel. Maybe he will go to West Germany to study for his doctorate he said. Since soviets Are no longer prohibited from travelling abroad these Days it is just a question of Money and going through the proper bureaucratic channels. Nineteen year old Polina Belikova also a student at Leningrad University said the soviet Union should scrap communism the general source of our problems and Model itself after the United states a very interesting  i think that our country must be capitalist she said. Whatever happened to the big bad capitalist bogeyman so common in the soviet Media just a few Short years ago i never believed the things our officials taught us about the United states said Belikova. So much for the indoctrinated masses ready to die for marxism leninism. Ivan Bozhinov 23, was kissing a pretty girl and laughing when we spotted him near one of the dilapidated buildings in the University quadrangle. His Friend Fjodor Ogarkow 19, stood nearby smoking a cigarette and grinning. Both Young men will go to the United states this summer on an Exchange program. They spoke excellent English Bozhinov s third foreign language Ogarkow s firsthand they did not foresee any problems relating to americans. We do not feel any Gap Ogarkow said. They Are concerned about having enough Money once they get there however. Currently soviets Are allowed to Purchase Only $300 a year from the foreign currency Bank. At the rate soviet citizens Are charged for dollars this costs 2,000 rubles. With an average salary around 300 rubles a month Ogarkow says it is very hard for an Ordinary person to get this  still they Are excited about going to the United states with or without a fistful of dollars the shadows were lengthening across the courtyard but we paused for a final word with 19 year old Olga Shu Sharina. Would she be the one to finally express misgivings about the United states maybe even a negative opinion i think it s the Best country in the world she said. Ivan Bozhinov and Olga Shu Sharina Mug for the visiting american photographer. To stripes Magazine May 31, 1990