Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 25 March 1960

USSR EMBASSY IN THE DPRK [faded USSR   TOP SECRET

MFA stamp:                     Copy Nº 3

Nº 70 0832s

2[0] April 1960 22 April 1960]

[Handwritten notations:

to [[illegible name] and

G. Ye. Samsonov]

JOURNAL

of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A. M. Puzanov for the period

25 March through 11 April 1960

Pyongyang

25 March 1960

I visited the construction of the Soviet exhibit together with Trade Representative I. A. Gladkov and Embassy counsellors. We familiarized ourselves with the progress of the construction and talked with Yu Bong-sin, manager of the construction trust; Kim In-seop, chief of the construction sector; and Soviet specialists B. G. Sobolev and A. B. Gurkov. The familiarization and conversations showed that the construction of the exhibition hall is mainly going according to the planned schedule. There have been some difficulties with metal: the types of metals planned in the design did not work out, therefore our specialists had to make recalculations for the use of other types of metals.

Yu Bong-sin, manager of the construction trust, produces the impression of an experienced builder and good organizer. As our specialists reported, he is paying great attention to the construction of the exhibit and  supplies it with the construction materials on time. Beautification work - tearing down some old one-story buildings, leveling the ground, planting trees, laying out the area for planting trees and flowers - is unfolding at the approaches to the exhibit, beginning with the old bridge and for the entire length, to the bridge being rebuilt across the Daedong River. This work is being done by the population of the city through participation in the work to beautify the capital for the 15^th anniversary of liberation. Work to beautify the grounds picked up especially noticeably after Kim Il Sung visited the exhibit construction site. However, the problem of planning the exhibit grounds and determining the areas for the construction of a summer movie theater to show visitors to the exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union and other services has not yet been solved. [We] have charged our specialist, A. B. Gurkov, with getting in touch with the projects organization of the Pyongyang city people's committee and helping solve this problem faster.

[…]

USSR AMBASSADOR IN THE DPRK

[signature]

(A. PUZANOV)

Five copies printed

1st - to Cde. A. A. Gromyko

2^nd - to Cde. Yu. V. Andropov

3^rd - to the USSR MFA DVO

4^th - to Cde. I. I. Tugarinov

5^th - to file

Nº 241 12 April 1960

Drafted by Puzanov

Typed. at.