Word: borya
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Borya is a mechanics student whom I befriended one cold night on the street. He noticed I was shivering and offered me his scarf. Enrolled in an institute of higher learning, he is exempt from military conscription. Nevertheless, he and his fellow students devote a few days each month to studies under the institute's department of war. On these days they wear green uniforms and learn how to repair jeeps and trucks. Like many Russians Borya wanted to know what American life is really like. Are salaries in the government sector lower than those in the private sector...
Like many students, Borya is a Komsomol member not out of ideological commitment but rather because he feels that party affiliation will enhance his career opportunities. His cynicism toward the government is reflected in a joke he enjoys telling: "What is the most neutral country in the world today? Afghanistan--it's so neutral that it doesn't interfere in even its own internal affairs." From reading the Soviet press and talking with an acquaintance who had returned from military service there, Borya is fully aware of the implications of an agreement of "mutual assistance...
| 1 |