Abandoned building near my apartment
April 18, 1996 Another day working on pricing. Karelia-Reserve was working hard to prepare 1995 financial results for Valery to file in Moscow. Valery took the last train to Moscow that night.
April 19, 1996 I visited with the other Irena, a young woman mathematician, who does the data processing. The companies only computer is an HP 486/25 and an HP inkjet printer.
In the afternoon met with an investment company that had a large stake in Karelia-Reserve. They bragged that the investment company had a 300% return in 1995. Although that sounded very impressive, given that inflation was 250%, maybe it wasn't all that great. They wanted to establish a contact with a big US investment firm located in New York City for participation in joint ventures in the Karelia region.
Later, Alexander showed me a video on Karelia. Although it was not a travel video, it was very well done.
Photo: Ralph and Lenin statue
April 20, 1996 I jogged in the area near the Blue Domed Church. The buildings in this part of the city were somewhat older, but architecturally very interesting. Sergei and Alexander picked me up at 12:30 PM. KR had arranged to take me and Ben to see some museums and then have dinner afterwards. KR invited Ben because Mariya had told them Ben's host was not doing anything with him. KR was very generous, more so than they imagined. Joe was also invited, but today was his last day and he was working.
The Museum of Local Studies had been in the Alexander Nevsky Church, now being remodeled. Now the museum was downtown just next to the large Lenin statue. The first exhibit was of WWII artifacts and weapons. Ben was critical of the Russian weaponry and took credit for the US saving the Russians and Karelia during the war.
When Alexander tried to explain the significance of the Kalevala book of poems, Ben kept interrupting him to ask him about some other thing. In the mineral exhibit Alexander told us where many of the minerals in Karelia were found, including diamonds. When Ben heard this, he laughed and told Alexander some woman lost her diamond ring, a Russian found it, and now the Karelians think they have diamonds. Ben made them out to be fools. Karelia really does have diamonds.
On the steps of the 1st museum, Alexander looked at his watch (it was 2:30 PM) and decided it was too late to see any other museums or eat dinner. Alexander, Sergei, and Konstantin left in the car (they could not get away fast enough), leaving Ben and I there on the steps gazing at the statue of Lenin.