4.5 Soviet Saving Time on Streets of Khabarovsk

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5. Soviet Saving Time

Khabarovsk by car looks to Olga original: Wide sidewalks, with people strolling leisurely, shaded by great green gingko trees planted in rows years ago and now magnificently flourishing.  She sees no crowds and few cars.  
   They pass more horse-drawn than gas-power vehicles and she notes absence of fashion in women who are mostly in cotton dresses with wide-brim straw hats; and no long stockings, rather dull ankle socks and many wood clogs while men wear Russian peasant jackets and faded pants.

   With the excitement of arrival Olga forgets the time. Now, looking from car, it occurs to her that the Sun is almost as high in sky as when they left Japan and she glances at wristwatch: 7:23 PM!

   Alexei explains: “Olga-child, I note your surprise at so much daylight. Is 3 effects: first, is near summer solstice when north hemisphere of Earth tips nearest to Sol, our sun, giving longest daylight. Realize we are 1600 kilometers north of Tokyo so we experience extra one hour daylight in June because we are on more north circle of Earth. But 2 other causes of longer daylight: We are in same north-south time zone as Japan and should expect to go by same clock time but our late Comrade Lenin on request of Soviet Science Council decided to set all Soviet time zones one hour ahead of similar-located capitalist zones so the effect is a permanent one-hour daylight saving time for all Russia. And third is seasonal daylight saving time from 1 May to 30 September. It works out that on this last day of June we shall have sunset near ten PM, an extra three hours of good late afternoon and evening light compared to Tokyo. It is said to increase productivity but most people like it because in evening we are more socially active than in early morning so we do not mind its being dark from 5 to 6 AM in summer.”

   “I’ll vote for it in Japan,” says Olga, “Six AM, I am snoozing happily and couldn't care less what it is outside but I love this sun so high in

sky at seven PM.”
       To read the next, click 4.(6-7) Incest in Manchu in The Beautiful Dream