Yesterday I found this polaroid of Susan and the Gorbachevs holding hands. Also notes she wrote the second time she met them at the opening of the Green Cross office in The Hague. She wrote how the Dutch people loved them and turned out in droves to shake hands and take pictures and how the Gorbachevs were surprised and happy to find Susan waiting for them on the steps of the new office. She sang several times at the festivities. Had the required vodka toasts. And while Gorby was at meetings she and Raisa went shopping for a couple of days in Amsterdam. In her rendition she leaves out my favorite part. She and Raisa went to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum and laughed seeing the effigy of Mikhail himself. The photo looks like it could have been taken at the wax museum but it is the real guy whom she found to be as kind, honest and charming as she had imagined. PS. The Green Cross was Gorbachev’s environmental/ human rights version of the red cross organization. It still exists. PSS. Raisa’s autobiography “I Hope” is an excellent personal window into life in the Soviet Union for a strong educated woman.
-david
Here’s Susan’s telling:
The Gorbachevs
1993 Kyoto Japan, the Global Forum where parliamentarians, scientists, spiritual leaders and artists came together to strategize around environmental issues. Donna Laslo accompanied me to the conference where I sang. One evening, 15 artists were invited to join Mikha and Raisa Gorbachev for dinner. I was seated between my former employer, Paul Winter and Thor Heyerdahl, of Kon Tiki fame, and across from our guests of honor. I was speechless at the honor of being in such incredible company...the courage, vision and talent gathered there.
At some point, Mr. Heyerdahl turned to me to ask who I was and where I lived. I said on a small island in the Pacific NW of the USA. He replied quite excitedly " Oh I love that part of the world! I was there once visiting with some native people and they asked me to join them on a bear hunt. We traveled to the water and got in a boat and rowed across to another stretch of land where we went into the forest and shot a bear! I will never forget the sound of the cry of that bear. It was getting late and we still had to drag the bear out of the forest and into the boat and get it across the water. By the time we got to the water's edge, almost exhausted, we heard a voice call across the water in the darkness to us.
'Thor, the Nazi's have invaded Norway!'
Later toward the end of the meal, Paul turned to me and said " I have been asked to offer a toast to the Gorbachevs and I can think of no better toast than to ask you to sing Amazing Grace." I was floored and honored at the opportunity to thank these great human beings on behalf of us all, for the many gifts they had given humanity.
From Kyoto, they were traveling to Den Haag in the Netherlands to celebrate the opening of The International Green Cross, Gorbachev's vision. I was invited to join the celebration there. Because of that opportunity, I had the chance to spend a couple days with Raisa taking in the sights while Mr Gorbechev was in meetings. An extraordinary woman. I continue to be inspired by both of their lives and service.
I include this fuzzy polaroid, (made less fuzzy!) that was taken of us together after our memorable first meeting at dinner.
Thank you Susan wherever you are now for sharing this experience in writing and thank you David for giving me/us this opportunity to read it. How lovely to be reminded of human goodness and beauty when so much in the world reminds of us of the destructive side of our species.
What a fantastic story! Thank you David!