Part I, First Encounters, Chapter 2, The Trans-Siberian Summary and Analysis

The second encounter with the Imperium comes in 1958 in the Asian steppes. The train of the Trans-Siberian Railway takes Ryszard to Moscow. They pass over several borders and Ryszard thinks to himself that too much blood has been shed over them. When they reach their destination in the border station of Zabaykal-sk, they see a barbed-wire barrier. Dangerous dogs come next to march them in. Sentries watch from everywhere. They are welcomes with red banners to the Soviet Union. The soldiers then search their goods and take their books, particularly English ones.

Those foreigners taken into the Soviet Union have three attitudes where they range from being absolutely enraged to those who imitate Soviet modes of thinking and acting and finally, those for whom everything is interesting.

After passing...