About the Book

It’s the height of the Cold War, and translator Viktoria Kochurova is working at the Soviet tourism bureau in Moscow when a handsome stranger walks into her office, looking like a cowboy right out of a western. His name is John Sandor, he’s an American visiting with a tour group, and he’d like to go home.

But once John sees Viktoria, leaving Moscow is the furthest thing from his mind, and she can’t stop thinking about him either. They strike up a clandestine romance despite Viktoria’s fears about what a dalliance with an American could cost her. His quiet confidence and gentle strength make her believe he is a man worthy of her trust. But when John has to leave Moscow, their feelings are put to the test. Their letters are intercepted. The KGB menaces Viktoria’s loved ones. And Viktoria wonders if she was wrong to trust a stranger from an enemy land.

Taking the lovers from Moscow to Paris to Colorado and back, Exit Visa #1: A Cold War Love Story is based on the true story of John and Viktoria’s world-changing romance. They met at a time when the Iron Curtain was pulled back just enough for them to glimpse a future where they could be together. But they couldn’t get there without help from the intrepid American correspondents who dodged the censors to write about them, the diplomats who whispered in the ears of their Russian counterparts, and even Khrushchev himself.

John and Viktoria

The True Story

Dana and her family have preserved the remarkable artifacts documenting John and Viktoria's romance and life together. From photographs of John's military service to Viktoria's romantic letters to press clippings about their marriage and escape from Moscow, these treasures show the true story behind Exit Visa #1.

Contact

For more information about Exit Visa #1, please contact us.