I am aware that a short visit to any country allows for only the most superficial kinds of observations. For a Western visitor, conclusions about the Soviet Union, after short visits to the major cities of western Russia, must be highly tentative, since little in our cultural, ideological and political experiences prepares us for an objective assessment of the Soviet Union. But even if personal objectivity were possible, adequate data is impossible to acquire. I found that the constant efforts of Intourist and others to provide an “official” view, an “official” explanation, an “official” insight into the Soviet people, their motivations and desires, compounded the difficulties. The visitor sees and hears what “they” want you to; exceptions to this, the most fruitful part of my trip, were hard to come by.