I had the idea for this image in the back of my mind for quite some time as an adjunct to a book that I intend to write after I finish It Isn’t Murder If They’re Yankees in 1999. When the September/October 1998 Internet Ray-Tracing Competition announced that water was the theme, I decided that this was a good time for me to try and realize the piece.
The voluminous State Encyclopedia in my father’s house was a constant reminder of the malleability of Soviet history. Every few years, after a high-profile death or trial, our family received official pages of revision. We were advised by authorities to put those pages in the appropriate place and burn the ones earmarked for removal. — Natan Sharansky (The Case for Democracy•)