Ukraine before the war: Visiting Soviet Kiev in 1974

Ukraine before the war: Visiting Soviet Kiev in 1974

With ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia underway in Turkey, even as the fighting continues in the east, retired People’s World Editor Tim Wheeler shares his memories of visiting Kiev in 1974. At the time, the city was the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union.  I will never forget where I was on April 12, 1974. My late wife Joyce and I were stepping into a crowded elevator in an elegant hotel on…