It is the fragility
of a seed
that is born
from the Eternal
and roots itself
in the hearts
of young
believers.

(Father Giussani)

Why was the Russian edition of Traces started? The friends in the community have always been very interested in the Italian edition of the magazine, which we receive in Novosibirsk and Moscow, knowing that it was a fundamental instrument for our friendship-Litterae communionis, in fact. Since they did not know any or only very little Italian, they would ask us to tell them what some of the articles were about, or to translate passages from them. Then we started translating the articles that seemed most important to us, because they marked steps in our history and the life of the communities, or made a judgment about problems that touched us too, or suggested a method for facing situations we were facing, and so on. These "homemade" translations were distributed by photocopy, read and discussed in School of Community meetings, and offered to friends at school or work.
Why not translate everything to give a more stable, regular, and organic tool?
At the beginning of this year in the assembly of leaders from all the Russias, the decision was made to try a "condensed" edition of Traces in Russian, using some articles from the Italian edition as well as local contributions when we had them (letters, notes about events in our communities, etc.).
Thus Sled, "trace" in Russian, was born.
Two issues have come out (January and February 2000), each about ten pages. Done on the computer, they are then sent by e-mail from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Alma Ata, and Karaganda, so that each community can print the number of copies it needs.
Translation of the articles from Italian into Russia is done by a good-sized group of students and workers (in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Alma Ata, and Novosibirsk) who know Italian more or less well; then others look over the translations, and some help with laying it out. All are involved in an enterprise that is much more than a "technical" job, but is lived as service-humble but passionate and exciting-to our unity.