An American Behind the Iron Curtain

In 1949 my grandfather, Savel Kliachko, was accepted into the University of Prague in Czechoslovakia to study Slavik languages. During this time he sent letters to his mother, telling her what life was like "behind the iron curtain". Below I will be typing only two of these letters as the rest are in Russian and no one in my family knows what they say.

Prague
Friday morning
July 15, 1949

Mammachka,
         I'm writing this in English to save time, as I've been running myself ragged doing 6,000,000 things as once -- and I'm determined to finally sit down and write a letter already too long delayed. Please forgive the long wait -- from now on I'll write with usual "(Russian word)".

Let me start at the beginning of a most interesting first week of new experiences "behind the Iron Curtain". I hope you received my letter from the Axa Hotel. I stayed there just 3 nights -- it was much too expensive to stay there any longer, 131 crowns a night. The official exchange rate is $1 = 50 crowns. This is really already artificial, since a dollar will bring up to 400 crowns on the black market! But I had to declare my money at the border and can only exchange it at the official rate. Consequently, I;m holding to the few ($30) I have until I absolutely need them.

My hotel room was spotlessly clean, with a gleaming porcelain bathroom attached. I took 3 baths a day! (Making the most of a temporary arrangement!) -- Monday morning I went to the Ministry of Schools to repent my arrival. A Miss Bendova took personal charge of me, and was very kind and helpful about everything. I received my stipendium money for the summer; 3,600 crowns. This sum is only for the period until July 23 and after August 20 until September. Between July 23 and August 20 I will be at the Summer School of Slavonic Studies in Marianske Lazne, with all expenses paid, comfortable lodgings and 4 meals a day! So, as you can see, the stipendium is very generous. In September I'll get a new payment.

Let me give you an idea of the cost of living her. First, almost all essential food items are rationed; meat, eggs, butter, white bread, milk, etc. I have traveler's rations so far (which are best) but I'll soon have to go on students' rations (which are not too bad). The rationed foods are cheap. But there is another "free" marked here, called volne prody where everything can be bought without ration coupons, but at much higher prices. This is practically a government-operated-and-controlled black market, designed to soak up excess accumulation of funds among the population. Food in these "volne" stores is not too expensive, but clothes, shoes, etc. are fabulously high-priced. -More on this in my next letter.

There is yet another store called Darex, where the finest Czech export items are sold only for "valuts" (dollars, pounds, francs) at export prices. Most foreigners make their purchases there.

A fair meal in a restaurant costs about 50 crowns. A balloon-sized hot-dog and read sold at corner stands throughout the city, costs 10 crowns. Tea is 3-4 crowns a cup, coffee 12 crowns! (not very good either.) Transportation is cheap -- 2 1/2 crowns for a streetcar ride anywhere in the city.

I'm living in a student dormitory, called a "kolej". I have my room, and a little gas stove outside used by about 8 students. My fellow residents are all Czechs and Bulgarians. We've been getting along wonderfully together -- I speak Russian to the Bulgarians and German to the Czechs!

The Czech language is difficult tongue-twisting, unpleasant (so far) and a litter closer to Russian than Dutch is to English. But I'm jumping in headfirst and will do my best to master it. At the same time, I'll try to speak a lot of Russian, so as not to let them get confused. -- I can already understand simple phrases in Czech. Gradually, I'll pick it up.

My "kolej" is a modern clean building, built in 1936 -- with a gym, student cafeteria, showers, etc. The rent couldn't be much cheaper -- 300 crowns a month ($6). It's located on Bila Hora, overlooking the city, not far from Hradcany Castle -- about 20 mins. by street car to the center of town.

Please write soon. Love to you and Dodik.
-Seva

Prague
Wednesday evening
September 21, 1949

Mammachka,
         This will be in English (as you already see), because I'm pretty tired, it's close to midnight and I have to get up early in the morning.

Ages have gone by since I wrote last. The reason? Just that I've been rushing around at a dizzy pace and have kept putting this letter off. The local bureaucracy has been keeping me pretty busy.

I believe I wrote in my last letter I would go to Germany for a few days. Well, I didn't go and I won't even try until perhaps Christmas. It's too difficult to get a return visa to come back to Czechoslovakia. Under present conditions they don't want people, especially Americans, running back and forth between here and the U.S. Zone of Germany. I would have to wait a month to obtain the return visa -- since school begins soon that makes it well nigh impossible to go.

Instead of Germany, I've decided to make a town of Czechoslovakia, particularly Slovakia -- which is much more Eastern European than Bohemia. The trip will not cost me much, thanks to the 50% reduction in train fare given to all students here. (And everywhere in Eastern Europe). I'll be gone about 10 days, visiting the most interesting and beautiful parts of the country. I intend to especially spend some time in the High Tatras, near the Polish border. I'll probably leave the day after tomorrow. Expect some cards from me along the way.

I'm steadily making progress with Czech. Now I understand almost everything and can read the newspapers. I can say about anything I want to, but I still mix in a lot of Russian. You may be pleased to know that according to my Russian friends here, I do not mix in any Czech with my Russian!

The Prague International Fair just ended. Although Eastern Europe was dominant in participation, other countries, like Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Holland, etc. were also represented. The Soviet exhibit was largest and quite impressive, although Czech machinery -- to my untrained eye -- looked better. Of course, Russia makes machinery almost exclusively for her own use and not for export, and is not so concerned with the fine finish. I spent 2 days walking around various exhibits with a 'special privileges' pass given to foreigners. (They probably expected me to place a million-dollar order for Czech glass, at least!) On the whole, although the items on exhibition were quite modern-looking against the background of ancient (and beautiful) Prague, I was aware of one overwhelming impression: they are years behind us and have quite a lot of catching up to do. Many of the items at the fair here, exhibited as the latest in their respective categories, have long either been in common use in America, or have been supplemented by newer and better models. Of course, in the interest of objectivity, it should not be forgotten that all these countries were years in the midst of war and occupation, and are just now beginning to climb out of it.

Sunday evening the Prime Minister spoke on the radio and announced that bread, flour, and potatoes are being taken off the ration, beginning in October. People are naturally quite happy about it, and hope other things, especially meat, will so follow suit. This year's harvest is a good one, and the consequences of the bad crop failure 2 years ago have been completely overcome. Besides, wheat is being imported from the Soviet Union.

My ration, a special one for students, is better than the average. I get about 75 grams of meat a day, 3 eggs a month, about 4 quarts of milk a month. Potatoes are plentiful, vegetables hard to get but non-rationed. I get enough butter to spread on one roll every other day.

Things aren't as bad as they sound, though. I can buy eggs on the so-called free market for 8 crowns (16 cents) each. American friends give me extra meat rations. I buy radishes and cabbage from Slovak peasant women who sell produce on street corners in Prague, and make myself salads. The coffee I very thoughtfully brought with me from the States has magical exchange-value for fresh milk. Pastry is rationed, but free (no rations) for high prices. Beer, which people here drink like water, also flows like water. I've given in to European customs. I no longer create consternation by demanding water with my meals -- I now sit meekly and drink beer with everyone else. (It's not bad beer, either!)

In a word, I'm far from starving -- I have enough to eat. Naturally, I miss our home-grown delicacies -- but I can't expect to take an American drug store around the world with me can I? (How nice that would be!)

I have no financial problems and expect none -- unless I go outside the country, for which I'll need dollars. My monthly stipend here will be 3,300 crowns. In addition, I may earn as much as 2,000 crowns monthly teaching. That's 5,300 crowns. When you consider that the average worker here has to support a family on 4,000 crowns monthly, my income certainly appears more than ample.

School begins in a couple of weeks. I'll be taking courses in Russian history, literature, Czech history and language. My program is indefinite as yet. I'll send it to you when it's finally filled out.

I'm very grateful to you and Dodik for making it possible for me to come here. I am going through, and have still ahead of me, a unique and wonderful experience, whose value should prove in many ways priceless. Using the old "cliche", "I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" Every day her is packed with excitement and interest of a new and rare adventure.
Love,
Sava

The following month my grandfather was mistaken for being an American spy as he was taking pictures next to the Soviet border. He was arrested and placed in jail for 5 days without being able to contact the American embassy, causing an international incident. After his release, he was told never to return to Czechoslovakia ever again.