Young Soviet Pioneer Scarf
Sasha straight up tells us readers that this scarf is a Big Symbol. The "three tips" of the scarf stand for the three generations: "mature Communists, the Communist Youth, and the Young Pioneers" (...
Statues
Here's our first glimpse of a Stalin statue (and you can also take a peek at the drawing at 5.F1):[A] giant statue of Stalin gleams under searchlights. The statue is made from the steel of fighter...
Winter Imagery
The novel clearly takes place in winter in Moscow, and the novel's chock full of cold, wintry imagery. Here are just a few frosty gems:"Red Square is deserted, layers of cobblestones under thick bl...
Disappearing
First there's the fact that Vovka's award-winning painting disappears from its display after his father is executed (13.2). Then there's the fact that the favorite pastime at Sasha's school involve...