The first time I heard of Vladivostok was the song by the Canadian band Prism. The album it's on made a big splash the summer of 1978 when I was 15 and I still can't hear the the name Vlad. without hearing that tune. Anyone else remember this? When my brother was over there a few years ago I reminded him of this song and he had some of his local Russian friends have a look and a listen - the consensus was amazement that some western rock band would have any interest in Russian history. Here's the lyrics and the link to the band's (yeah, they're still a band!?) web page:
http://www.prism.ca/index.php
Vladivostok
Pulled into Vladivostok
Must have been a hundred degrees below
And I can't remember ever being that cold
Then they shackled us like criminals
And put us on a train
And we waited in the darkness and the snow
We awakened in the morning
As the train began to roll
And the freezing Russian winter
Had already claimed a soul
From mountains ever northward
Seemed like six or seven days
Till we finally found the place we were to go
Hey Hey Vladivostok...What's it gonna be?
I'm so lonely, you're the only place thats left for me
Hey Hey Vladivostok, you got me on my knees
It's been so long since I went wrong
Someone help me, won't you please
I wish that I could see you
Hold you near just one more time
And hear you say the things you used to do
Well, lo and behold, I see before my eyes
A vision...apparition of you
You know I'd go a thousand miles
And I'd walk most all the way
Just to see you smile the way you do
...the way you do
