Visas at a Price

No matter how much they may have wanted to leave Russia, Soviet citizens have had to stay home and work for their State. Exit visas have simply not been issued, except to a few privileged persons (mostly members of the Communist Party) for "reasons of State." Aged relatives in Russia of "White Russians" abroad have been especially treasured by the Soviet Government as likely to receive remittances in valuta (foreign money) which is needed for the Five-Year Plan. Grant such people an exit visa? Not likely!

Abruptly last week the unlikely happened, as it often does in Moscow. Dictator Josef Stalin, whose State is now harder pressed than ever for valuta, decided to stop hoarding Russians, offered in effect to sell them out of Russia for cash (valuta).

Hereafter $250 in any foreign currency will buy a Russian "worker's" visa. Russians of "other classes" (former kulaks, bourgeoisie, aristocrats) will be let off for $500 each "to reside abroad permanently."

A thousand or a million or a billion rubles (nominally worth 50-c- each) will not buy an exit visa; and of course Russians in Russia cannot earn valuta, can earn only rubles. Thus the new decree means that to leave his country a Russian will have to appeal to people outside for foreign money, virtual "head money" paid to the Soviet State for his release.

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