cover Story
an artist rendering
The beginnings of Vostok-Europe grew
out of a suitcase full of watches as
payment for a microwave transmitter.
Vostok Komandirkie watches similar to
those that filled a suitcase as payment
to Zubovskij and his team.
Igor Zubovskij 1984
in Vilnius. The transceiver is completed. The institute has months
even if official currency exchange were possible in the disar-
of work and money tied up in the project. They need to deliver it
ray. So, a suitcase full of Komandirskie watches is smuggled
and they need to get paid. At the same time, Vostok still has a
through four borders headed for a barter transaction that
contract to fulfill with the remaining government in Moscow, union
would change the course of Zubovskij’s life and the lives of his
or no union.
colleagues forever.
“Things were becoming like chaos,” Zubovskij said. “We
Given the conditions at the time and Zubovskij and his
needed to get paid and to pay the salaries of the people in the
colleagues needed some way to pay a salary to the team and
institutute. We really were unsure what we were going to be able
the institute. They had little choice but to accept the suitcase of
to do.”
Komandirskie watches as compensation for the emitter . The trade
With no way to transfer funds, Vostok puts a member of their
team on a train to Vilnius. Carrying rubles is out of the question,
26 FUNCTION | AboutTime Magazine
proceeded. At the time, street markets had sprung up all over,
as everyone was looking for a way to make some money in the