In 1971, under the pretext of meeting with Professor Kotovisk, an Indologist from Moscow’s U.S.S.R.
Academy of Sciences, Srila Prabhupada accompanied by two of his disciples, Syamasundara and Aravinda, embarked into a dangerous mission to somehow introduce Krishna Consciousness into the Soviet Union.
This film, produced to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's visit to Moscow in 2001, includes an interview with Professor Kotovisk where he tells his side of the story, it also shows how Krishna consciousness had attracted many contemporary Russians at that time (2001) including famous singers, artists and DJs.
At the time, in 1971, the Soviet Union was a strictly atheistic regime.
One could be executed for spreading religious books into the country.
In fact, the visit of Srila Prabhupada into the USSR almost had a tragic start when Syamasundara was caught with a Bhagavad-Gita at the border.
Fortunately, the customs official was distracted and let them enter with the book.
Their visit would last just five days, and all their movements would be closely followed by the KGB.
In fact, apart from a few short walks, in which he was followed by KGB agents, Prabhupada spent most of his time in their hotel room in the Hotel National.
On the fourth day, however, something unexpected happened.
While walking on the streets of Moscow, looking for fruits for Prabhupada, Syamasundara met an interested boy, who went with him back to the hotel to meet Srila Prabhupada.
For a few hours, Srila Prabhupada explained to him all the basics of Krsna Consciousness and gave him the Bhagavad that they had smuggled into the country.
Amazingly, after just this short meeting, this boy became seriously committed to spreading Krsna Consciousness, later becoming Ananta Shanti Das, who paid an extremely high personal price to be able to spread Krsna Consciousness in the Soviet Union.
In this short visit, Srila Prabhupada was able to successfully plant the seed of his movement in this hostile territory.
