Glancing at the excited faces of the Soviet students who filled the cabin, Raisa couldn’t deny that she felt a sense of pride muddled with her anxiety. She’d been intimately involved in the planning and development of this trip. Her position on it hadn’t been won through political connections. In fact, the opposite was true: she’d needed to overcome serious questions about her past. Leo was a pariah in the complex political landscape of Moscow: his reputation was ruined by his refusal to work for the State security forces. Over the last ten years he’d maintained a low profile while she’d become an increasingly prominent figure in the education system. Promoted to director at her secondary school she held regular meetings with the ministry on topics such as literacy levels. Her school had achieved improvements that she would’ve dismissed as propaganda had she not been involved. It was a peculiar reversal of fortunes. Leo, once powerful and well connected, was now isolated, cut off from advancement, while her career had grown, pushing her closer to the corridors of power. Yet there was never any suggestion of jealousy. He was far happier now than she’d ever known him. He loved his family. He lived for them. He would die for them: of that there was no doubt. She felt a pang of sadness that he was not here to share this experience with them. She wasn’t sure whether he’d enjoy New York, he’d almost certainly be on edge, alert for plot and intrigue, but regardless, he would always enjoy being with them.

Considering the level of hostility between the two countries the trip had been labelled as naive by many commentators. A delegation of Soviet students was to perform concrts in New York and Washington DC in an effort to improve relations between the two nations. It seemed like a fanciful idea. Recent diplomatic incidents had been grave: the Cuban Missile Crisis had brought the countries to the brink of nuclear war. While other incidents were relatively trivial in comparison, such as the Soviet Union being excluded from New York’s World Fair, they’d contributed to a worsening sentiment. Tensions were high. Against this backdrop the notion of a school visit had gained favour with governments on both sides. Since neither nation could be seen to capitulate on critical military issues, there were few avenues open diplomatically. Though seemingly slight, agreeing to these concerts was one of the few concessions either country was prepared to make.

Diplomats on both sides had thrashed out the official aim of the trip, entitled

THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ PEACE TOUR:

The hope is for the children of today to know only peace in their lifetime.