Soviet lives (Series record)
William Mandel was a United Press expert on Russia in World War II and a post-doctoral Fellow at Stanford University in 1947. He taught at Syracuse, UC Berkeley, San Francisco, and San Jose State Universities, and Law School of Golden Gate University. Mandel visited the USSR nine times at the time of this series, including one year-long stay. He is the author of several books, including Soviet Women and Russia Re-Examined.
This series of programs on non-Russians living in the Soviet Union originated at KPFA in 1977, and was eventually broadcast on other Pacifica stations. Mandel spent most of the autumn of 1977 recording and collecting the personal stories of non-Russian Russians for his upcoming book on ethnic minorities in the USSR. After playing the interview, Mandel would take calls from the listening audience. The show was known for making people in the Soviet Union appear to be "more human" and easier for Americans to relate to in the post-Cold War era. This series was preceded by a program hosted by Mandell entitled "The Soviet Union: questions and answers" and succeeded by a program hosted by Mandell entitled "The Soviet Union: a closer look."