Description
Object description
Soviet official record of the organised tour by members of the Houses of Lords and Commons to state institutions, factories and farms in Moscow, Leningrad, Sverdlovsk, Tbilisi, Gori, Sochi and Kiev "to get a better conception of Soviet life".
Full description
Reel 1: Delegation consisting of -------- is greeted upon arrival on 30 September 1954 at Moscow Airport by Deputy Chairman of Supreme Soviet Praesidium ______ and other officials including members (unnamed) of the British Embassy. Declaration into microphone by ____ hoping "that this visit will help strengthen Anglo-Soviet relations" is answered by Delegation leader Lord Coleraine's remark that "all of us retain the warmest memories of our wartime comradeship". Formal greeting at Kremlin by Chairman of the Soviet of the Union Alexander Volkov and Chairman of the Chamber of Soviet Nationalities _____ precedes tour of Moscow's sights, historic and contemporary: Building of the Moscow Soviet, statue of founder of Moscow, Gorki Street, well-filled shops for shoes and food ("sales 20-30% higher than last year as result of increased production of consumer goods and retail price cut this year, the seventh since the rationing system was abolished following the end of the war"), exterior of Lenin Library, Moscow Hotel, lecture and accommodation facilities at new Moscow State University, free primary school, Krasny Proletari industrial plant whose workers enjoy evening classes, murals at Arpad and Kiev stations on Metro, with female station mistress. Reel 2: Moscow visit continues to new grounds of USSR Agricultural Exhibition pavilions and exemplary achievements of Collective Farms in livestock and afforestation ("there are cows that give 12 and even 14,000 kilograms of milk annually"). In Leningrad delegation is greeted by Chairman of Executive Committee of Leningrad Soviet Nikolai Smirnov before sightseeing begins: River Neva, Petropavlovsk Fortress, St Isaacs Cathedral, Winter Palace, Smolny ("which in 1917 was centre of Socialist Revolution led by Lenin" - statue), Renaissance art in Hermitage, Elektrosila electrical plant for turbine production, Fashion House catwalk display, Petrodvorets/Peterhof Palace following total reconstruction after Nazi destruction. Visit to Stalingrad "the Hero City whose name is dear to people all over the world" shows Defence Museum, with King George VI's sword on display, sites from the Battle and post-Battle aerial film of devastated city, Peace Street, Planetarium ("gift from the population of the German Democratic Republic"), new Volga Embankment, Stalingrad Factory Works where delegation deputy-leader Nas Edwards drives a new tractor, workers' Palace of Culture where dramatisation of Dickens' Little Dorrit is on, interior of a typical worker's family three-room flat ("rent is 3% of family's earnings"). Reel 3:
Physical description
35mm