People: Mar. 31, 1986
Greeted with flowers at Chicago's O'Hare airport, Katerina ("Katya") Lycheva, 11, smiled and said in her careful English, "I am very glad to see you, and I think we will be friends." For the next two weeks, Katya's mission is to meet American children "and tell them as much as I can about the Soviet Union." Sponsored by the San Francisco-based Children of the Peacemakers, her visit was inspired by a similar 1983 trip to the U.S.S.R. by Maine Schoolgirl Samantha Smith, who died last summer in a plane crash and has become a hero in the Soviet Union. Katya, who has acted in a young people's theater group back home in Moscow, plans to see the Statue of Liberty, Disneyland, NASA's Houston space center, and Ronald McDonald. Though she brought a gift for him, the more important Ronald is not scheduled to see her.
Most Popular »
- How Christmas Is (Not) Celebrated in North Korea
- Is Running Bad for Your Knees? Maybe Not
- No Churchgoing Christmas for the First Family
- Israel vs. Hizballah: Drumbeats of War
- Protecting the Pope: Keeping Him Safe But Open
- Up in the Air: What Does 10 Million Miles Get You?
- Sherlock Holmes: Impressive Abs, Unmemorable Action
- What Smoking Ban? The French Are Lighting Up in Public Again
- The Pentagon Prepares for a Missile Attack from 'Iran'
- In Sri Lanka, Tsunami Anniversary Inspires Mixed Reactions
- Is Running Bad for Your Knees? Maybe Not
- How Christmas Is (Not) Celebrated in North Korea
- What Smoking Ban? The French Are Lighting Up in Public Again
- Up in the Air: What Does 10 Million Miles Get You?
- In Sri Lanka, Tsunami Anniversary Inspires Mixed Reactions
- New York City: 10 Things to Do in 24 Hours
- Forcing Insurers to Spend Enough on Health Care
- The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao
- Magnus Carlsen: The 19-Year-Old King of Chess
- Do DIY Anti-Overdose Kits Help?
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
RSS