Tour's End

For five weeks, a troupe of Russia's top artists have been whirling about Italy, concertizing and dancing to the uproarious approval of music fans (TIME, June 25 et seq.). Last week the Italian government reminded the Russian embassy that the tourists' one-month visas had expired.

Asked the Russian embassy: Would the Italian government extend the visas?

Answered the Italian government: Conceivably--if Moscow would okay a reciprocal arrangement. Would it allow Italian artists, regardless of political beliefs, to tour Russia?

That was a stopper. The artists, including Ballerina Galina Ulanova and Violinist David Oistrakh, packed their belongings and took a train in the direction of Moscow. Snarled Rome's Red L'Unita: "The offense to the Soviet artists is an outrage to culture." Said one departing musician: "The Italian government is very uneducated."

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