Fidel Castro - SPEECH AT IRKUTSK lyrics

Dear comrades of the party of organizations, dear comrades from the local soviets, dear working people of Irkutsk: We are here only for a brief stop. The Soviet land is vast, so vast that you can show us an infinite number of good things. Therefore unfortunately we must limit ourselves to visits to only a few places since it is physically impossible to visit every place. We shall see only a small, thousandth part of the country, despite the fact that we have been invited everywhere. The workers of the country are so kind. We have received thousands of telegrams inviting us to visit their factories, and not only their factories, but their families as well. We have received thousands, tens of thousands, of telegrams. It is always (word indistinct) when one wonders what these people think when they spend time and energy in sending us telegrams and letters, and still do not see us in their homes or in their towns. The one thing I should like to say is that we have been surrounded by thousands of demonstrations of every kind of fellow-feeling and love for us. In the time which we have spent in the country we have already gathered a great stock of rich and deep impressions, from the point of view of acquiring the experience we need. We have learned of the special characteristics of each of the oblasts and republics we have visited. The visits to these places have made unforgettable impressions on us. Murmansk, for example, and Moscow, Volgograd, Uzbekistan, Tashkent, and Samarkand--in each of these places we have seen the efforts by the Soviet people, and how the Soviet workers, led by the Communist Party, are creating great things. We have seen regions separated by great distances but which are nonetheless joined in carrying out the same tasks, united in a single revolutionary faith, led by the same organizations. Everywhere we were impressed by the people, their working spirit, enthusiasm, and recognition of their international duty. Everywhere we met demonstrations of solidarity and friendship for our small and distant country. Truly it is impressive to see how the citizens of a great country with such great merits and who have done so much for mankind feel such a strong sympathy for a small and distant country which has only just begun on the road of revolution. This is an extremely inspiring example for us, and for all other peoples. These feelings surrounded us in all the places of the Soviet Union which we visited, and therefore the warmth with which you people of Irkutsk have received us seems natural to us. We who live in the tropics think of Siberia as a very cold land, and perhaps some people think that the Siberian people are cold too. (Laughter) But I have never thought this. (Applause) And I am sure I will have much less ground to think this after today's meeting. (Applause) Perhaps some people may think that the cold would freeze up the poetic capabilities of the Siberians, because it is cold here, because of the long nights, and because there is often foggy weather. Nevertheless we have been greeted here with verse, so the people have very great poetic talents. (Laughter, applause) Why? Because the comrade who has just spoken on behalf of the party and Soviet organizations of the town and oblast not only found warm words for us, very fraternal ones, objective and full of expressions of solidarity for us, but he also expressed his ideas in beautiful and even poetic language. (Laugher and applause) The comrades say that the poetry was a collective creation. This just confirms what I was saying about poets here going about in whole collectives and not singly. (Laughter and applause) As I have already said, the comrade's speech pleases us very much. I do not want to take up any more of your time. On behalf of all our delegation and all the Cuban people, I want to thank you for your warm feelings toward us, and to express to you and our profound gratitude and joy for these warm feelings which you have shown. Do you know what time it is now in Havana?--a quarter past six in the morning! (Laughter) Day is breaking and the people are just getting up. Here it is already time for us to go to bed. (Laughter) The distance which separates us is difficult to measure, (either in kilometers or in time?). Just think, 13 hours of difference--even though they say that the earth revolves quickly. Nevertheless at this moment there is no distance which could separate Irkutsk from Cuba, not a single kilometer between the people of Irkutsk and the Cubans. Long live this eternal friendship! Thank you. -END-