Военновременни делници и празници: из живота на дипломатическия корпус в СССР в годините на Втората световна война
Weekdays and Holidays during War Time: from the Life of the Diplomatic Corps in the USSR during the Second World War

Summary/Abstract: The article describes the life of the diplomatic corps in the USSR during the Second World War. It is pointed out that diplomats are experiencing first-hand not only the trials of the ongoing war, but also the difficulties of communicating with a government and a political society that looks at the world around it hostilely and with great distrust. Living and working in the conditions of a ‘besieged fortress’, they are forced, along with the usual obstacles related to that profession, to take into account a number of specifics arising from the very nature of the existing socio-political system – the poor communication with the host country, which is uneven and subject to the whims of the current moment; the secrecy and suspicion, as well as the unwillingness to provide information on a number of issues of interest to representatives of foreign countries; ‘troublemaking’ when the Kremlin’s negative attitude towards a country’s policy needs to be demonstrated. At the same time, the facts show that in terms of living conditions, foreigners in the USSR are cared for like no other. They enjoy all kinds of privileges, they are provided with the best possible conditions for living and rest, for food and entertainment. And their presence at the diplomatic receptions given by the Soviet authorities gives them the opportunity to witness some truly unseen performances, played out on an imperial scale. That, among other things, aims to convince them of the strength and resilience of the USSR in these difficult times.

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