Tuesday, 8 August

Fine

At 4.00 in the afternoon we took the “Red War” train from Moscow to Leningrad.  Military Attaché Guo and other personnel from the Embassy came to the station to see me off. Shaozhou and his wife, his second daughter and the Iranian Ambassador’s daughter, and Retinue Hu Jibang accompanied me. This time I asked to visit Leningrad to test the Soviet attitude towards me, and I wanted to know what actually happened when Leningrad was in siege, as well as the war there. The train arrived at Klim at 6.50. We took a stroll at the station and just saw two or three old women and children selling cucumbers and a few raspberries. Shaozhou bought six small cucumbers for 30 rubles and I bought a small packet of raspberries for 8 rubles. The supper we saw at the station canteen was only vegetable soup and small bowls of vegetables. Even for these one needed a special permit to buy. We also saw many males who have been transferred from Latvia to receive training at the rear. Probably when the Red Army recovered one region then they would transfer the males to receive training at the rear. This method would only work smoothly in the Soviet Union, if other countries tried to copy this method there would be serious problems. For those living under several years of enemy occupation people have already suffered much. If the males are conscripted and transferred afar to receive training, this act will lead to separation of families, and people in other countries will certainly be discontented about it. On the train there was a dining car. There was only a young woman selling wine and sandwiches. Sandwiches with a piece of cheese sold at 30 rubles each, and with caviar 40 rubles. Since we brought our own food, we did not buy anything. But I talked to the young woman. She said her husband starved to death in Leningrad during the siege. I was afraid such a thing happened everywhere. The train started up again, and on the journey I could see that all the cities and villages have been badly destroyed.