A lot of clerks can`t imagine, then somebody didn’t speak Russian.
All international Airway traffic was only from Moscow. When Latvians went to Stockholm, an airplain cross Riga, when it go down to ground at Stockholm.
At the pleaces near the USSR border (less about 5km) the seashore was scraped by army every evening and no pepole can stay there at deadhours. These zones was fully cloased for foreigners.
The leady and the gent cannot get one room in hotell, without documental confirmantion of they marridge.
There were special "currency magazines" for forigners. People,who had no currency, cannot visit these magazines.
The TV news from Moscow was transmitted by all (3) TV channels simultionusaly, of course in Russian. The "BBC" and "Voice of America" broadcoasts was jammed by jamming stations,and these signals was so strong, when the nearest sports hall cannot use electronical devices. There was made special equipped cars, whitch went around a city at dead hours to detect, where somebody is using VHS (watching video films). No any TV broadcoasting or sattelite TV was accessable at deadhours. All copy made and printing equipment was under strong inspection (no private persons can own them) Every typwriter was under registration. Private persons cannot own lorys, airplains and the land more than 2000 sqm. All privat radio transmitting devices (like CB and walkie-talkie) was restricted except registred HAM radio stations.