January 1989, when I visited Moscow, was one of the warmest winters in recent memory. This warmth proved metaphorical for the thaw that was occurring all over as the Cold War came to its surprising end.
It was so warm that January that I even joined local Muscovites during their daily winter swims in the huge round out-door swimming pool, built for the 1980 Olympics. Click here.
At that time, in the late 1980s, this outdoor pool was still the largest pool in the world.
It was certainly the largest heated swimming pool ever built. Steam arose from it all day long in the Russian winters.
The warm waters of the steaming pool was a place for peoples of all classes to mingle in the relative safety of the pre-Collapse world of Moscow. I recall simply leaving my clothes and wallet in a plastic bag at the periphery of the swimming. I was told by my Russian acquaintance not to worry about anyone taking my belongings.
I had been invited to swim that 32-degree-faranheit evening by a Muscovite named Igor who had shown us around town the night before.
Igor was not a tour guide. He was an assistant professor at one of the universities in the city--and was a friend of a fellow traveler on our tour from Dusseldorf, West Germany.
Over several nights, we peppered Igor with various questions.
I recall being specifically interested in the future of multi-state Soviet Union.
That is, I was fairly interested in what Igor had to say about the future of his own Soviet—Soviet Russia, the largest of the Communist Republics making up the USSR.
Prior to arriving in Moscow, I had read several articles on the potential break-up (not-just-of the Soviet Empire but) of the great land mass of Russia— a nation, which alongside India and China, make up 3 mammoth-sized multicultural states in various corners of continental Asia.
Upon arriving at our Moscow hotel at the outskirts of the capital of the USSR, I had been impressed and thoughtful of the many Asian-featured Russians I observed staying at the same residence.
How could these Korean-looking peoples be Russian?
Do they feel more or less Russian when visiting Moscow?
What of the Chinese- and Mongolian-looking folks? Are they integrated? Do they feel part of the same federation or state?
How about those Muslims from the various Soviet and Russian–Stans? Such as Dagestan? Or Turkmenistan?
