In 1969 Barry Humphries featured in a zany article posing as both a Moscow reporter named Beria Humphivich and a persecuted Australian writer about to set himself alight .
The madcap piece , headed REIGN OF TERROR FOR AUSTRALIAN WRITERS AND ARTISTS, appeared in Broadside, a national independent magazine edited by Pete Steedman , published in Melbourne.
Humphivich-our man in Moscow-stated that a terrifying document signed by many Australian artists, writers and intellectuals had just been smuggled into Russia.
He said it told the horrendous story of talented men and women whose works were being suppressed by the State,their livelihoods in jeopardy.
They were being forcibly restrained from fleeing to the free world .One young satirist had recently turned himself into a human torch as a gesture of protest.
Hundreds of stories like this were pouring into the Soviet Union, he added.
Because of special taxes on the arts, many writers were forced to bury their manuscripts and bank statements underground, but they were rapidly dug up and examined by trained seeing-eye-police kangaroos.
An Aboriginal wrestler and intellectual who managed to elude customs officials tried to swim to Siberia , but was washed up on the Bulgarian coast , groaning and bleeding.
Unable to speak, he could only feebly point to a bloodstaind badge which stated he was a frizzy-haired, overpaid artist. He then expired at the feet of his rescuers. Puzzled Moscovites and residents of Moonee Ponds undoubtedly wondered what the hell the story was about .
