An old man wearing a flat cap overhears Matthew translating the Russian [on the memorial to those executed by the NKVD] for me. He sidles over, introduces himself as Vladimir Alexandrovich, and asks what brings us to Budovo today. Matthew tells him that his American friend is here to learn about the communist era, because emigres in the West see signs of its potential rebirth there.

Like what? asks Vladimir Alexandrovich. I tell him about people afraid of losing their jobs for dissenting from left-wing ideology.

“Losing jobs?” he says. “That’s a bad sign. It can happen again, you know.”

Live Not By Lies, by Rod Dreher, pp. 123 – 124