A JACK OF ALL TRADES A red sign with a hammer and sickle hangs outside the village council, a small house with an iron roof, surrounded by trees… In a park… Not your ordinary park, but a prince’s park. The house was also owned by the prince once. Now back to the village council… The village head, Nalisny, works in what was once the elusive prince’s study. Nalisny certainly isn’t elusive. And next door, where they say the lady of the manor had her boudoir, the villagers read books and thrum the prince’s grand piano – there’s a reading room in here now… Once upon a time the prince owned this village... Now it’s ours… The park, behind the park, in front of it, and over there – it’s all ours… As they say, anything is possible under Soviet rule… The village council administers the village

