The Mezh: Once Upon a Time in the USSR

The Untold Story of How Hollywood Destroyed the Soviet Union

De: Grigorov Brothers, Roumen Grigorov, Vesselin Grigorov

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

A gripping true-life story about an extraordinary destiny of a young man, forced to make the choice of life: sell his soul to serve the devil, or preserve his dignity by taking a new path to a new world. The book chronicles the remarkable adventure of a foreign student who finds himself at the center of an action-packed spy thriller while studying in Moscow.

Being eyewitnesses to the events, relying on solid documentary research and historical facts, the Grigorov Brothers authentically recreate the life of foreigners in the Soviet capital at the height of the Cold War, while masterfully illuminating the untold story of the Video Revolution and its key role in the collapse of the USSR.

The storyline takes place in the 1980s and follows the turbulent life of a foreign student in Moscow, who becomes one of the key players in the Soviet black market, proudly calling himself "The Black Marketeer" while his business partners call him "King of Video". Unexpectedly but fatefully, his paths cross with the main participants in the two major spy scandals of the Cold War: “The Bug House”, related to the construction of the new American embassy in Moscow, and the racy “Sex for Secrets”, when for the first time in US history the Marine guards of the American embassy were convicted on charges of espionage and treason.

The authors describe a series of dramatic events that in an incredible way intertwine the life paths of the characters, involving each of them in a fierce battle behind the scenes that accompanies the signing of the INF Treaty.

The accounts about celebrities such as Kim Il-Sung’s grandson, singer Laima Vaikule, Boris Moiseev and the Expression trio, as well as meetings with the US Embassy „Rescue Team”, Marine Guards, with President Reagan’s aides and many others are authentic.

The story takes place mostly in the iconic building - The First Business Center at the heart of Moscow - known as „Armand Hammer’s gift“. The complex described in detail by the authors is unique for its time and includes a hotel with bars and restaurants, where secret deals and meetings were held, for which besides Soviet citizens, for whom access was denied, this place remains a mystery to the world community. Most expats referred to it as „Mezhdunarodnaya“, or simply „The Mezh“.