08/13/2026
“The 1990’s were a tumultuous time, so much going on, but one of the most memorable things for me was my first trip to Russia. I can honestly say it was one of the very few times that I really questioned my life choices.
My mother warned me, too.
It was just after the breakup of the Soviet Union. I remember, vividly, walking from the plane down large grey granite corridors, no English, obviously, only Russian, and no lights! No advertising, or neon, nothing.
It was a bit unnerving. But on I went.
This trip, I was there to see if I could set up a channel to purchase rough diamonds while everything was in flux. I had my 7-figure line of credit from an Antwerp Bank and the connections to make it happen. I could tell you tales of dark alleys and Bogart-like pendant lights, of old ‘Samsonite’ briefcases packed with rough diamonds, or men in official-looking uniforms with medals everywhere, all of which would be true.
But the thing I remember most was walking through Red Square by Lenin’s tomb, wearing my puffy green, red, and yellow Tommy Hilfiger jacket with light-coloured blue jeans, sticking out like a sore thumb.
It was early spring and everyone, and I mean everyone, wore long black, brown or dark grey leather overcoats, many with fur collars.
The only colour in the whole scene was the spires of St. Basil’s Cathedral, and me.
And staying at the Hotel Russia, on the edge of the square. It was reserved for ‘Western' visitors. It was large, staunch, and every room was bugged.
In the end, the deal would have involved things that we weren’t comfortable with, so we passed on it. Still, the trip opened doors for the future. It gave me the chance to tour the Kremlin and see the Russian Diamond Fund, but that’s another story altogether. It left me with lasting memories that I’ll never forget.” - Ralph Vandenberg
