Samantha Smith: how it actually was.

Children’s counselor in "Artek" in 1983 Olga Sakhatova shares her memories about Samantha Smith – "the ambassador of Peace" from the USA.

 

Translated by Ekaterina D. Dobrova

 

Samantha and her Camp "Artek" counselor Olga Sakhatova.

 

For the 1980s generation American girl Samantha Smith is somewhat of a folklore character. With her naive letter to the Secretary General Yuriy Andropov the end of the “Cold War” began. At least two books and numerous articles have been written about her trip to the USSR and Camp “Artek.”  It seems that after that it is impossible to tell something new.  But as usually there is a place for “but…”  Traditionally, all the materials about Samantha Smith concerned her place in the Soviet-American relations history, “national diplomacy”, etc. But we managed to find Olga Sakhatova, Samantha’s counselor at Camp “Artek”, who shared a number of unknown facts about the most famous trip of the most famous child on the planet to the most famous camp of the USSR.

 

The following is the story as Olga tells it:

It was 1983, my first year of work in “Artek”. We had already heard about this American girl and her letter to Andropov. And soon my boss Valentine Antonovich Saveliev told me to come to him and said: “Sakhatova, I have “sold” you. You will work with Samantha”. I was in a panic: “Why me? Am I guilty of something? This is such a big responsibility for me!” He explained to me: “You are the only counselor who can speak English fluently”.

At first, they decided to place Samantha in the “Blue Building” (it had the best amenities) and me too.  No one seemed to pay attention to the fact that that I worked with some other group. The “Blue Building” had its own leaders, Boris and Galina were  – students from Kostroma (Russia). For the period of Samantha’s stay I was to help them – to be with the American girl and her friend Natasha.

Natasha Kashirina from Leningrad (now – St. Petersburg) was in that group, she could speak English, since her mother was a teacher of English. As Natasha’s and Samantha’s beds “for some reason” were  close to each other, little girls became friends…as planned.

Samantha liked the uniform very much. She asked me whether it was possible for her to keep it as a souvenir. The director told me: “I don't know, Sakhatova. You will have to pay for that uniform”. (Those, who worked in “Artek”, remember that counselors paid for each lost thing from their pocket and therefore very frequently practically nothing was in the paycheck, so we counted those unfortunate caps every minute, as well as pins and T-shirts, which children managed to leave always and everywhere and they all cost much). I was puzzled. The Secretary General invites people to the country, and I have to pay?!  Eventually, I reconciled to the idea. The girl was wonderful. I already perceived her not as the ambassador of Peace but as my “Artek” child. Why not give her the uniform? Eventually everything was somehow settled without my good intentions and they gave a uniform to Natasha also. By the way, she was wearing it when she met Samantha in Leningrad (now - St. Petersburg), although according to the rules, children were to return the uniforms before they left camp.

Before Samantha’s arrival they had instructed us how to behave; not to stand in front of the cameras, not to speak to “enemy” correspondents, to be careful about political information etc. The dining room was under capital repair and wasn't ready for the beginning of the camping season. We took the children to another one.

How many stairs were there, does anyone remember? People called that staircase “to lose a kilo”. But by the honored guests’ arrival the repair of our dining room (hurrah!) had stopped and they even managed to bring in a huge palm tree. That palm tree still stands there, though now it is so big that during the last reconstruction a special cap on a roof was made for it.

We followed the instructions seriously. Counselors did not appear together with the news reporters and photographers. Our swimming instructor Vasily, though, was everywhere, he was shown on all TV channels.

In the day of Samantha’s arrival the director of "Artek" asked me 100 times: “Sakhatova, tell me the truth, do you really understand English or not???!!!” I even started doubting myself, I was so scared. By the way, the first bus with correspondents “was left” in Simferopol, the second one was sent along the wrong road. Therefore, when the Smiths arrived, they were met by only "Artek" people, but in a few minutes the journalists appeared. My God, how they were running! Everyone wanted to be the first, rushing ahead of each other. Someone's camera was broken, someone’s glasses got stepped on… As if Samantha was to disappear in 5 minutes!

The Smiths asked their daughter if she wanted to live with children in the camp and she answered “yes”. Her father set only one condition: to protect the girl from the reporters.

And with that our nice life with Samantha and Natasha began. Not one correspondent bothered us. Where they all went – I do not know. Children gave her chiffon ribbons (Samantha liked them very much), and we tied them for her. We swam, participated in camp activities. Nobody forced my little girls to sleep in the afternoon (in “Artek’ we called it “silent hour”). We spent this time on the beach.

Samantha's behavior in camp was very lovely and natural, she never acted like a “star”. She did morning exercises together with all the kids, swam in the sea. Her first reaction to the sea was: “Olga, what is with the water? It is salty! In Maine, where we live, the lake has fresh water!”

By the way, photos do not lie: Samantha was an extremely beautiful child. And to add to it her constant readiness to smile (because of completeness of life, of pleasure, and not because of just courtesy)…

I saw Samantha’s mother Jane Smith in “Artek” after the death of her husband and child. I found out about Jane’s arrival by accident. I stood nearby and suddenly noticed her. I asked: “Do you remember me?” She shouted: “Olga!” I started hugging her, and people around were very surprised to see that unplanned meeting.

In 1989 and 1991 I went to work to America, to the camp named after Samantha (Jane arranged for it). And in 1998 I was in that camp again with my 13 year old daughter. There, we were met and treated with love. People of that state remember Samantha…  

            Olga Sakhatova and Jane Smith