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Welcome to episode 10 of Cold War Conversations. Today we're moving away from the GDR and Czechoslovakia to the Soviet Union.

But before we start, a quick plug for our Facebook group,

we have veterans, academics and fascinated amateurs like myself contributing and discussing

the subjects raised by the podcast.

Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook. You'll be made very welcome.

So back to the Soviet Union. Today's guest is Jeremy Pointin, who was a 16-year-old schoolboy in

1968 when he embarked on a memorable trip by road from Leningrad to Odessa.

He vividly describes the Soviet Union, still struggling with poverty, and a diverse range of peoples from city dwellers to remote Shetian villages.

It's a unique story as Jeremy details his experiences and the sights of a 1960s Soviet Union just as the Prague Spring was being suppressed. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did. We welcome Jeremy Pointon. Hi Jeremy. How are you tonight?

Hi Ian. I'm fine. Thank you. Good to talk to you.

Yes, no, great. Thank you very much for coming on Cold War Conversations.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your epic journey across the USSR.

Now, I understand that this was a school trip. Can you tell me a little bit about your school?

Yeah, at least school in Cambridge. I would classify as probably a second string public school,

though I got a very good education there, probably the last generation to get a proper classical

education.

And as I noted, I think, to you, we actually had a Russian teacher there.

He mostly did French, but he spoke fluent Russian, and I would think about five or six was probably at O level, with a view to hopefully get an exam, but really to be able to get

onto the school trip. I think he'd been there before himself once or twice, but had never

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