1969: Touring Russia
The Gamma Phi Beta World Tour.
The seventh Gamma Phi Beta European Tour, again directed by Helen Berg Kline (Oklahoma, 1918), was taken in June 1969. Even as the Cold War continued between our two countries, Russia was included in the itinerary for the first time. Their tour began in West Berlin, then proceeded on to Hungary, Romania, and a four-hour flight to Moscow. There they visited the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, and many other sights, gaping in awe at the ornate furnishings and beautiful frescoes that adorned so many structures, from Leningrad’s finest hotel to the subway station platforms. Helen Berg Kline wrote, “We had excellent service and never felt that we were watched; all the cities were clean and beautiful, however, their standard of living would be considered ‘poverty’ in the United States.”