ABSTRACT
The former capital of the Russian Empire, and the present capital of the Soviet Union stand for much that is central in the movement which gives the country its chief present interest. The centre of Russian life moved to Moscow. Even more vivid than the contrast of churches and palaces with institutions and factories is the impression of the life in the Moscow streets. Social life has been completely disorganized, and what survives is on a very limited scale. There is neither the means nor the leisure for it. Everyone's spare time is largely taken up with obtaining the bare necessities of life. For some there is a starvation of the soul which exceeds physical privations, but even "former people", as survivors of the upper and middle classes are called, have often almost forgotten the old life. Some people are surprised to learn that the Bolsheviks have been at great pains to establish an artistic reputation.
