My Native Moscow by Alexandr Kuprin. Short summary

5 seconds

The writer arrived in his homeland after a long absence. What he saw was different from what he had seen before. He walks around Moscow, getting to know people to immerse himself in this atmosphere.

1 minute

The hero of the story returned from abroad to the USSR and discusses what had changed during his absence. Moscow greeted him warmly and welcomingly. For all the years that the man was away from his homeland, new cities, factories, palaces were built.

Most of all the narrator admires the vivacious and optimistic modern youth. The writer likes the fact that they respect the old: they will help to cross the road and give way. Young people are educated, they read a lot.

Also surprised the hero Soviet children. In his opinion, the government takes good care not only of them, but also of their mothers. There are many kindergartens in the country, which are attended by pink-cheeked and joyful babies. They were the ones who watched Yu-yu the cat, who liked to sit on the narrator’s shoulder.

The writer compares Soviet and European children. The former, it seems to him, are more open, the latter are early adults. The hero plans to visit the theater and the circus. He concludes by saying that «even the flowers in the homeland smell different.