Wow! What a privilege!
Yes, it was great. He loved America. He detested the media and most politicians. Before he defected, he was a “handler” for many American politicians when they visited the USSR. One was Ted Kennedy. They kept him drunk most of the time and gained information from him and influenced him to their advantage. Later, as you probably know, Kennedy did what he could to undermine Ronald Reagan.
Yuri loved Vodka and when he’d had a few, he would get emotional and repeat “God bless America” over and over.