THE ADVENTURES OF

T IN T IN
REPORTER FOR "LE PETIT VINGTIEME,
IN THE LAND OF
THE SOVIETS
FOREWORD

This first adventure of Tintin. the boy reporter, appeared in 1 929 in a children's
supplement to a Belgian daily newspaper. Le Vingtieme Siecle. Herge. Georges
Remi, then twenty-two years old. was employed on the staff as an artist. He had
received no formal art training, but was already showing the originality and wit
that would make him a unique figure in the world of the strip cartoon.
Herge's satire on the Soviet state was very much of its time. He himself had
not been to Russia, but had read a book published the year before. Moscou sans
voiles: Neuf ans de travail au pays des Soviets by Joseph Douillet. a former
Belgian consul in Rostov-on-Don. Soviet propaganda to persuade the world
outside Russia that the economy was booming was a particular target for Herge,
as were the activities of the secret police, the OGPU. Incidentally, he errs on one
occasion in the story when he calls them the Cheka, their name before 1922.
Publication in Le Petit Vingtieme began on 10 January 1929. In 1930 the
adventure was issued in album form, now a very rare book greatly sought after,
the 500 copies being numbered and signed "Tintin et Milou”. There were, it is
believed, nine subsequent editions, differing only in the layout of the print on the
title page. With the exception of a reissue in 1969 for the personal use of the
author, again limited to 500 copies, and some pirated editions, more than forty
years elapsed before this adventure was again published, in the first volume of
the Archives Herge. This volume (in which the original versions of Tintin au
Congo and Tintin en Amerique also appear) includes a page which originally
appeared in Le Petit Vingtieme No. 60. omitted for no apparent reason from the
first edition in album form. It is reproduced here as page 97A.
L. L -C. M. T.

Translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper and Michael Turner

Les aven turns de Trtm reporter du - Petit Vngbeme- au pays des Soviets

Art O 1981 by Casterman. Toumai

Library ol Congress Catalogue card n T* 883-745
Text D 1989 by Sundancer. 34. Floral Street. London WC2E 9JD
Brush Library cataloguing n pubhcation data
Test published in Great Bntan n 1989

All rights reserved under International. Pan- American and Universal Copyright Conventions
No portion ol this book may be reproduced by any process without the publisher's written permission.
ISSN 0 9512799 1 2
AT " LE PETIT XX e " WE ARE SAY
HERE,GOODBYE
ALWAYS EAGER TO SATISFY OUR TO THE
SNOWY.'
READERS AKIP KEEP THEM UP
GENTLEMEN.
TO PATE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS-
WE HAVE THEREFORE SENT
TINTIN
ONE OF OUR TOP REPORTER’S,
TO SOVIET RUSSIA. EACH WEEK
WE SHALL BE BRINGING YOU
NEWS OF HIS MANY ADVEN-
TURES.
N.B. THE EDITOR OF " LE PETIT
XXE" GUARANTEES THAT ALL
PHOTOGRAPHS ARE ABSOLUTELY
AUTHENTIC , TAKEN BY TINTIN
HIMSELF, AIDED BY HIS FAITH-
FUL DOG SNOWY/

I'LL SEND YOU SOME

POSTCARDS, AND VODKA,
AND CAVIAR / SO LONG/

riilr

n\ Pm
17 TAB

SO WHAT
WHEN I’M
?
am mm
SLEEPY
I TAKE
. mm* i*
A NAP !
irzmwf
MM? I
n
 IIAM
IIAM LE TINTIN
PETIT THE
INNOCENT.'
,
REPORTER FROM

VI
LEN6 ME E"
T TI OU T.. AT
ONCE §M /.
, YOU
BEASTS f
 tHAT’S POME IT... TEN TO ONE
HE'LL CRACK HIS SKULL...
ANP THEN...
Vi

1at

G*RR...

...I SHALL RECEIVE THE

IT'S A BANANA SKIN... ANP ORPER OF THE HAMMER.
A BANANA SKIN IS SLIPPERY AND SICKLE, IN TIN !
...ANP IF IT'S SLIPPERY,
TINTIN WILL FALL ANP HURT
HIMSELF... ANP WE PON'T
WANT THAT .'... SO WHAT
SHALL I PO ?... HOORAY/
I'VE GOT IT !H PUT IT THERE...
THAT'S A GOOD PLACE.

NOW FOR
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE SOMETHING TO
THAT WHIPPERSNAPPER
COME A CROPPER ' EAT , SNOWY...
 great snakes !...
JUST STAGE EFFECTS'
...THEY’RE SIMPLY
BURNING BUNDLES
OF STRAW TO MAKE
SMOKE COME OUT OF
FALSE CHIMNEYS .'

AND THAT'S WHAT THE

GUIDE CALLEP " SOUNPS OF
MACHINERY " f'

THAT’S HOW THE SOVIETS FOOL NOW, WE’LL HAVE DINNER...

THE POOR IDIOTS WHO STILL WE'VE EARNED IT/...
BELIEVE IN A
"RED PARADISE".

I CAN'T REMEMBER
THE LAST TIME I
HAD SOMETHING TO IS THAT OTHERAN-
JOKE ?
EAT...
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE
A GOOD IDEA !...
 COMRADES, YOU HAVE THREE LISTS BEFORE
FIRST IS THAT OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY...

mtiL tots,
x
ALL THOSE WHO OPPOSE THIS LIST RAISE \\ THEIR HANDS/..
I
NOW, WHO SAYS “NO" TO THIS LIST ?
m

»
mm
i > .'ill's 1
few

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

NOBODY ??... THEN, I DECLARE THE COMMUNIST { S\ PARTY

LIST ELECTED UNANIMOUSLY/ ) _

■ " f .Ti

'i.Y'
 mm
LET'S TBY AMOTHEB

8§$j
I'M MOT VEBY
HAPPY '
TEN THOUSAND KNOUTS
THEY HAVEN'T NOTICED MY KEY
15 STILL IN THE LOCK

BEST THING IS TO FORCE THE POOR

HELLO, THEY'VE STOPPED
FIDDLING WITH THE LOCK...

THIS TIME I CRUMBS ! THEY’RE

BREAKING THE DOOR
DOWN !
KNOW HE WON'T
ESCAPE... HE’S
CORNERED !
I’LL JUST CHECK
THERE'S NO BED
UNDER THE ONE f
BY LENIN'S BEARP ! THIS HERE HE COMES, FULL
STEAM AHEAP...
TIME I’M
7\ GOING IN

TAKE CARE ,
TINTIN, NO GOOP
WILL COME OF
THIS.

NOTHING BUT A BRICK WALL PO COME IN , MY

PEAR SIR...

HELP f TINTIN’S
GONE RAVING
MAP !...

NEVER THOUGHT I WAS SO FAR

FROM THE POOR.'...
 TEN THOUSANP KNOTTEP
. KNOUTS... I'LL STRANGLE
* HIM WITH MY

, bare hanps r

HURRY UP,

RUSHING THEY'RE
TINTIN, THE
POOR !
 BEGONE, MISERABLE HOMANS... OR
HELP ! ... HELP fff
\ I
SHALL
J.
/\ — -J ( \ \ CARRY YOU
GAVE ME !
(fla %/ MJ\ \\ THE T0
0FF LAND
A GHOST f • p

\ \ / WysHfrs
 NOTHING TO PiBE DONE... I'M
CONDEMNED TO DIE IN THIS
PAT- HOLE ... YOU GO, SNOWY...
SAVE YOURSELF... YOU CAN
GET OUT.

I'LL NEVE Q
LOSING
LEAVE YOU,
YOUC TINTIN.
TEMPER
WON'T HELP,
TINTIN .

THIS... IS.. .THE... LAST... THAT'S ALL I NEED...

WILL... AND... TESTAMENT... NOW l-VE CAUGHT A COLD...
OF. ..TINTIN... AAA... AAAATCH...

mm
■ % % 1
GET MOVING / TO THE Jj I WILL , ONCE YOU STOP
POLICE STATION / SHAKING ME LIKE A RAG
POLL.

NOW WE’RE IN
A FINE MESS.

OHO f_A ROUBLE ... WHAT NOW I'LL JUST KICK A

PENALTY !
LUCK f

SEE WHAT THIS SAYS ? CAN'T

YOU REAP ?? “ BATHING STRICTLY
PROHIBITEP"... DON'T BLOW SO
HARD, — YOU'LL BURST A
BLOOD f \ VESSEL !
TO PINCH MY CAP FPOM
UNPEP MY VERY NOSE.'
THAT’S THE LIMIT
NO MOEE PETROL... HAPPILY' IF
WERE , WE'D HAVE BEEN ROAST

FOUND
ACONBREA N ' fNOW
KDOWIT
 ABOUT HSj
THAT '5 THE WHEEL IN PLACE.
NOW, LET’S SEE... WHAT
THE ENGINE ?

OS
HMM ' IT SEEMS A BIT POOH f HERE GOES- - GET
COMPLICATE.^. THEM BACK IN QUICKLY !

liiSHI
\
if]
m ^,-■0 vjUM-

VERY OOP / .. THE BONNET IS HEIGHO /IT’LLGO WITHOUT

ALREADY FULL AND I STILL HAVE THESE K\OPPMENTS !

mm
SOME BITS OVER...

YU. iW i
 TAKE THAT/

VILE DOG / YOU'LL PAY FOR

THAT f [
NOW IT'S
TURN MY
TO SAVE
SNOWY.

THOSE SHRIEKS THE LITTLE BOURGEOIS

ARE REALLY MOST WILL SOON CONFESS !
UNPLEASANT f

THESE CHAPS
AREN'T VERY
STOICAL / _
 Mill.!
LOOK WHAT THE SOVIETS HAVE PONE
TO THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF MOSCOW :
A STINKING SLUM.'

IHUi

li|£

WHAT’S THAT QUEUE OF

WRETCHED CHILDREN?. ..OH,
THEY'RE DISTRIBUTING
FREE BREAD TO THE
MOSCOW POOR. LET'S J j
SEE HOW THEY \>
n OPERATE... r

IliUW YOU’RE A COMMUNIST ?... YES?... BREAD FOR YOU...

YET ANOTHER EVIl^OF THE RE/
RUSSIA. TROOPS r'~\ OF ABAf
DONED CHILDREN.d
■■t
5 J ROAM IN
THE TOWNSAND THE
BY THIEVING //"
COUNTRYSIDE, *\ LIVING

AND BEGGING/ 11

Ti i i
NO ONE ABOUT ?. . . IT'S ALL
GOING WELL '

m
CO MRADES... WE ABE SHORT
WHEAT ' THE LITTLE WE HAVE IS
OF Wm
NEEDED FOR OUR FOREIGN

)
PROPAGANDA WE SIMPLY MUST
FIND SOME .OTHERWISE WE FACE
FAMINE /...THE ONLY SOLUTION IS
TO ORGANISE AN EXPEDITION
AGAINST THE KULAKS, THE RICH
PEASANTS, AND FORCE THEM AT
gunpoint to give us their
CORN. I HAVE SPOKEN '

I’M GOING WITH THAT

EXPEDITION,
TO SEE WHAT
TAKES PLACE.

HERGE
WHILE THEY DISEMBARK, I'LL I MUST GET THE CORN HIDDEN,
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE COM- BEFORE THE ^SEARCH i BY
FUSION AND GO TO THE VILLAGE. THE SOVIETS'XA
I'LL WARN THE INHABITANTS THEY
ARE ABOUT TO BE ROBBED'

WHERE TO HIDE THE CORN ??

mm
m
r put |
mm*

nuni
iiiawi
H
r«suj

■'A'
 LUCKY FOR US , OM THE JOURNEY NOW, WE MUSTN'T HANG
IN THE TRUCK I TOOK THE POWDER AROUNP HERE... IT'S AN
OUT OF THE CARTRIDGES ANP UNHEALTHY SPOT '
REPLACED THE BULLETS WITH
WADS OF CARDBOARD f

TRAMPING IN THE SNOW IS

IT'S GETTING DARK, ANP SNOW
IS STARTING TO FALL... EXHAUSTING.

OOF f I CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.

DO I HAVE TO DIE HERE ?
mutt
 HORRORS HERE AM I , TURNEP
INTO AW ICICLE (... FROZEN
SOLID
THIS TIME , I'M
WELL AND TRULY
PONE FOR t

SOMEONE'S COMING,
CAN’T LIFT A FINGER
MYSELF f
ANP i
TO DEFEND ALL MINE, QUITE
Js
TINTIN .' WHAT LUCK f

DEFENCELESS.'... I’LL
7 GET THE REWARD
PROMISED 3Y /
.

THEOGPU' ^£VV
Yr

Ml

IT WASN’T EASY TO CUT HIM FREE . BUT NOW

HIM TO MOSCOW, NO TROU&LE AT ALL f
I’LL TAKE
u
iifw

WHERE ARE WE GOING ?

 St

m
US l ^ .

TIE HIM
SECURELY,
AMD LEAVE
US. I WANT
TO TALK
TO HIM.

YOU'RE IM THE HIDEOUT WHERE

LENIN, TROTSKY AND STALIN
HAVE COLLECTED TOGETHER
WEALTH STOLEN FROM THE
h'v# PEOPLE ' ALL AROUND
THIS PLACE ARE IMMENSE,
'Vi EMPTY STEPPES, ALMOST
/ lM PASSABLE. BUT IF BY
~v ' . CHANCE A PEASANT
?/ WANDERED INTO THE
HAUNTED ROOM WHICH
COVERS THE ENTRANCE
TO OUR VAULTS, HE’D
/ BE FAR TOO SCARED
1-r--/ 7 T0 PURSUE HIS
.7 ( ^ INVESTIGATIONS.
YES, YES f
LET'S BE

GOING •
I’M BEGINNING TO THINK
I LANDED A BIT TOO
HEAVILY/

THERE YOU THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS, HOW

ARE, SNOWY DO WERIGHT THE PLANE ?
YOU AREN'T
HURT?

HOLD THE COPE , SNOWY, BUT DON'T PULL TOO

HARD ' I’LL COME DOWN AND HELP YOU TO
, BRING DOWN THE TAIL OF THE MACHINE !

HELP ME !... I
SUPPOSE HE THINKS
I CAN'T DO IT BY
MYSELF.

1
 THERE WITH PATIENCE ALL THINGS
ARE POSSIBLE

YOU SEE, T INTIN,

WORK REALLY IS A
..WONDERFUL THING

I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE

PLEASURE SOME PfcOKLt Sfcfctvl
TO FIND IN WOODCARVING f

BY THE LIGHT WHEN ARE YOU

OF THE SILVERY GOING TO LET
MOON.. f\ ME SNOOZE ?

WHEN IS TINTIN
GOING TO TAKE
OFF THESE ROTTEN

Bandages?7 i
CAN'T EVEN YAWN/
IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO MAKE THE THIS TIME, WE'RE OFF
SECOND PROPELLER... WITH A BIT
OF PRACTICE, I RECKON IT' D BE ,
QUITE EASY'

THAT’LL TEACH
YOU TO THINK
BEFORE UNDER-
TAKING SUCH A
TRICKY JOB /

?... HELP.'...
OH , OH WHAT’S HAPPENING
THE FUEL GAUGE IS DROPPING THE PETROL
ALARMINGLY... TANK IS
LEAKING /

WHERE ARE
YOU GOING?/ mma
Ml TINTIN, WHEN
WILL YOU STOP
FOOLING AROUND/
DON'T YOU KNOW
IT'S VERY SILLY
TO DO THAT ?

1
 JUST MY LUCK
CHASING ALONG
LIKE THAT I NEVER
PAID ATTENTION
TO WHERE I WAS
GOING , AND NOW
I'M LOST/

AT LAST /...THE MAIN THING IS,

I'VE KEPT THE TIGER- SKIN IN
ONE PIECE '

Gee/.-GRe/... Ci set
THEY'LL DE ABSOLUTELY
TERRIFIED f )
I DON'T UNDERSTAND !..
ALTHOUGH I'M ALL
DISGUISED AS A TIGER
THEY DON'T SEEM THE
LEAST BIT BOTHERED >
AIR f. I NEED AIR '... IF I AT LAST, I CAN BREATHE /...THAT
SMELL WAS CHLOEOFORM... SOMEONE
DON'T GET TO THE WINDOW WANTED TO KNOCK ME OUT. BUT WHO
t’M DOME FOE f
IS " SOMEONE” 7

OH ?... WHAT’S THAT NOISE ?..

IMti HIGH QUALITY
THE POOR HANPLE MOVEP... ...HE’S OUT FOE
WELL, MOSCOW
SOMEONE’S COMING IN-. &E PLEASED.
QUICK , PLAY DEAP '

mti
YOU’VE ESCAPED FROM EVERY
TRAP , TINTIN . BUT NO ONE
ESCAPES FROM ME, BOESCHTISOV/
... NEVER f

1
AHA YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD ME ! THEBE YOU ABE MY FRIEND,
... WOW, LET’S FIGHT IT OUT, TIKJTIN ISN'T EXACTLY A PUSH-
BORSCHTISOV ! OVER NOW , YOU WORK FOB
THE OGPU , DON’T YOU ?

Oil! %
M\\

OHO ? WHAT'S IN THAT LETTER IT’S CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT

STICKING OUT OF YOUR WAISTCOAT 7 DOCUMENT, BUT I CAN’T UNDER-
STAND IT. IT’S ►«. — ^.WRITTEN IN
CODE. } X

tmm
,«»)))))]

MteSI . n il MB 1

I MUST ALERT
COME QUICKLY, OFFIC
THE POLICE
IMMEDIATELY/ ARRESTED A DANGER-1
CRIMINAL '

iii
OH .'...THIS DOCUMENT REVEALS THAT WE SAVED EUEOPE / AND
THE M^LIS A BOLSHEVIK, AMD HE S THE EEWAED OF Z 0 000
/< INTENDS TO BLOW UP ALL
■ OFFECED FOP THE
£ THE CAPITALS OF
nOF THAT gangster/
EueoPE with
^-'V £? DYNAMITE/
 CM GOING TO BUY A CAR
WELL, SNOWY, NOW WE HAVE THE TO MAKE THE JOURNEY...
MONEY, AWAY WE GO. . TO RUSSIA '
WE STILL HAVE PLENTY TO DO
THERE.'... _.

m
mm RUSSIA .'...THERE
I THINKING
GOING HOME [
WAS
WE WERE

YOU’LL BE VERY HAPPY WITH THIS

CAR ON THE FLAT SHE'LL DO
ISO KM/H.

I) m
Oh f YES, THAT’LL
I’D COMPLETELY DO ME FINE '
FORGOTTEN TO BUY
SOME MORE RUSSIAN
CLOTHES !

tint
I WONDER IF ANYONE WILL MEET HOORAY ! THERE’S THE BELGIAN
US AT THE STATION... FRONTIER f!

m
7 WHEN WE GET
HOME I'M GOING
TO SLEEP FOR
48 HOURS SOL IP '

IT'S LOVELY TO BE BACK IN

mm
BELGIUM , ISN’T IT SNOWY ?.
TRA ... LALA... LA...

NOW, A LITTLE THAT TINTIN ' FULL OF HIMSELF /

BRUSH UP... WANTS TO BE THE ONLY ONE TO
ARBIVE LOOKING SMART IN OUR
PROBABLY HOME TOWN f
THINKS HE’S THE
ONLY ONE TO
COMB HIS HAIR.