The Soviet crew ofthe Kruzenshtern mans the yards, a dramatic sp ectacle as the ship made its fi rst visit to N ew Yo rk H arbor in Operation Sail 197 6 (Photo: Norma Stanfo rd) Ko lo mensky. H e saw his shi p as o ne of the fo rerunn ers ofperestroika, creatin g a ripple effect fo r the forces of change. Ko lomensky's superi o rs to ld hi m he co ul d go to N ew Yo rk in '92 , bu t they had no mo ney to pay fo r th e voyage. T he cadets and crew d ecided they wo uld forego their wages if the m oney was needed to buy provisions; they wo uld rather go to rhe
U ni ted Stares than be pa id . In rh e US , another angle of the intern ational relations hi p fo rged sin ce 197 6 came into play. When rh e captain called his frie nd, N ew Yo rk attorney and phil anthropi st Norman Liss, Liss swung into action, contacting everyone he kn ew who could help . In San J uan, Slomi ck was give n a list of 54 items needed on board , and by rhe
rime he go r to ew Yo rk, peo ple we re callin g saying rhin gs li ke: ''I' ll rake items 1 thro ugh 15." When the vessel arri ved , New York's Z aro 's Bakery del ivered fl our and butter, b read and ro lls each morning. T he Hunts Po in t M arket Association and many o rh ers also fo llowed through. Every irem o n rh e list, beginning with fi ve tons of potaroes and ending with 500lb o f chicken, was provided by a willing ew Yo rk, eno ugh to supp ly all fo ur Russ ian ships. T he scene was repeated in Boston , as the story of th e sa ilors' plight rraveled north . L ikeKruzenshtern, the ships of the interna t ion al fl eet co ming ro the U S in 2000 are much more than engaging symbo ls o f a wo rld long gone. Their voyages today o n the wo rld's oceans co nnect our disparate cultures, as did their predecesso rs, and the lesso ns of teamwo rk, res ponsibili ry, cooperati o n and history they teach go beyond the yo un g peo ple who sail them- they to uch everyo ne in this world shaped by th e wo rk of sa iling ships and their people. .t J ustine Ahlstrom is editor o/Sea H istory.
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www.bibliofind.com SEA HISTORY 89, SUMMER 1999