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Quote by Svetlana Alliluyeva

Work

Twenty Letters to a Friend: A Memoir

This memoir is a series of letters written to a friend, offering insights into the author's personal experiences and philosophical musings. more

Author

Svetlana Alliluyeva
Svetlana Alliluyeva

Svetlana Alliluyeva, a Soviet politician and writer, was born on February 28, 1926, and passed away on November 22, 2011. She was the second daughter of Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, and her life and works attracted widespread attention both in the Soviet Union and internationally. more

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“The American spring is like the country itself: abundant, rich, flowing over you like a full tide. ... Azaleas were suddenly ablaze. White dogwoods stood like brides in the wood - these trees of all colors were new to me; one does not meet them in Europe, and dogwood cannot even be transplanted to other continents. White and pink magnolias, yellowish rhododendrons, all of them lived happily side by side with our ordinary lilacs and lilies of the valley - the Russian symbols of spring.”

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Author:Svetlana Alliluyeva
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“Why did Americans smile so often? Was it out of politeness or because of a gay disposition? Whatever it was, I for one had never been spoiled with smiles. I found it very pleasant! ... I was beginning to understand that with Americans smiling was, as with healthy infants, a natural need. And my reaction was to respond in the same way.”

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“On, those ever-changing moods of Moscow! How swiftly they go from black to white, from one extreme to another, from friendship to accusations, from adoration to hatred, from the permissive 'da' to that annihilating 'nyet.' Those eternal swings from a thaw to a freeze, whims that disregard their own rules, norms, and regulations!”

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