In 1986, Horowitz told his friends that “before I die, I want to see the land where I was born.” So, he decided to play two concerts in Russia. At the time, Russia and the United States were trying to be more friendly with each other, and Horowitz’s concerts were part of that effort. The concert in Russia’s capitol, Moscow, was shown on TV, and people in the audience could be seen wiping tears from their eyes.