30 Wallingford Rd #916
Brighton, MA, 02135
March 4, 1992

Dear Karen,

Do you want to go to Russia? You should not go. Russia is one of 15 republics of the former Soviet Union. (It is true; Russia is bigger than the other.) They all became independent states. Now Russia also begins to break apart. The separate parts of Russia: Tatars tan, Bashkortostan, Chechnya, etc., declared themselves independents.

There is unrest. Nobody can know what will be tomorrow.

If you won't take my advice, and you do go to Russia, you should visit Saint-Petersburg. It has 5.5 million people. It was the capital of Russia under the Czar.

You will see the long lines for food in the government shops, private shops with very expensive prices, unrepaired buildings.

You will recognize buildings with magnificent architecture, such as the "Winter Palace" (Hermitage), Russian museum, Isaac's cathedral, suburban Czar's palaces: Petereopalace, Gatcina, Petergof.

If you have many dollars, you could have a good life; you can even buy many houses very cheap, compared to America.

I am afraid that tomorrow the houses will be nationalized and you will lose all your money.

Dear Karen, it is better for you to go to Paris.

Sincerely,
Ilya.

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