Auschwitz: A Look at the Russian Exposition

Soviet troops fought their way into Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. They first learned about the death camp weeks earlier when liberating Krakow, Poland an hour east.

In the 70 years since, the Auschwitz site has been carefully preserved. The memorial and museum are a high-priority visit for travelers to central Europe. I'd been to Auschwitz, myself, in 2004, part of a large conference group and soon realized it was so emotionally intense, I'd need to make another trip: There's a limit to what one person can absorb in an afternoon.

April of 2010, happened that I was in Warsaw waiting for my Russian visa ~ the perfect opportunity to revisit Auschwitz. Dear friends in Warsaw, Lukasz and Nicole led the way. Say, care to join us and see what we saw?

We left Warsaw before dawn that Saturday and headed south on a high-speed train to Krakow. As the sun came up, we were zipping through forested areas of southern Poland.

Deep in thought, fellow traveler in our compartment.(Click to enlarge.)

Zipping through rural areas, heading south from Warsaw.

Several hours later, after a train-to-bus transfer, we arrived in Auschwitz. This time, it was The Russian Exhibition that caught my attention, a work-in-progress at the time of our visit. Since then, it has been finished and dedicated.

Liberation: From RIANOVOSTI, Russian News Service. At the RIANOVOSTI site, a slide show of the exhibition's dedication. (The site is in Russian, but photos are photos!)

But oh, mercy ~  I'm getting ahead of myself. First, at the camp entrance, we meet the orchestra that sent prisoners off to work and then welcomed them home each day.

Imagine playing in the Auschwitz Orchestra. When a trainload of new arrivals pulled in, they were welcomed with folk music from their homeland. The orchestra also performed at the most gruesome times and also on Sundays for the Auschwitz staff and their families.

Under the sign, Work Makes You Free, in German, likely the most photographed site at Auschwitz.

Once inside, fences, barbed wire and barracks.

Well, okay: We won't even think about going there. . .

Auschwitz is near a small town and has a rural feel even now. It's so quiet and peaceful. What a contrast to 70-some years ago when thousands of people were packed together and the air was rank with smoke from the crematoria.

Nowadays, the air at Auschwitz is so fresh, songbirds abound and tiny violets grow.

Insightful video from Rick Steves, Seattle-based travel expert and author.



Billed as America's leading authority on European travel, Rick Steves pretty much wrote the book.

Star of David in wrought iron.

Wall of Execution: In the early days of Auschwitz, it was here that prisoners faced firing squads. But the faces staring back at them so haunted the Nazi solders, that camp switched to mass cremation. 

Visitors to Auschwitz. The gentleman standing, far right intrigues me. Perhaps he's overcome with emotion. Perhaps he's just checking his phone.

Now, on to the Russian Exhibition which opened in 2014. Renovation was in process when we visited in 2010.

Exhibition of the Liberation of Auschwitz. Sponsored by the Russian Federation.

Soviet military leader, V. Sokolovskiy, who planned the Auschwitz liberation.

Precious innocents: Keeping warm in cast-off clothing.

Soviet soldiers visit with Auschwitz prisoners.

Soviet physician examines a prisoner.

Children of Auschwitz: Taken to an orphanage somewhere. . .

Funeral service, attended by Polish church dignitaries and Soviet military leaders.

Yours Truly

Lukasz and Nicole manage an early-morning smile.This dear couple were my hosts. Lukasz made it all happen: He's a Polish national, the ultimate resource on such trip. 

This high-speed train from Warsaw to Krakow.  

Our Auschwitz trip included a side-trip to the nearby Birkenau camp and took a full day. I need to return and take in the Russia Exhibition, completed since my last visit. I'm so grateful to those who liberated the camp. Grateful to those who brought to justice the perpetrators of these horrors. And a bow of deepest respect to those whose lives were shattered by what happened at Auschwitz. May they somehow find strength to move on. May they find peace.

Volgograd ~ Stalingrad ~ Commemorates February 1943 Victory

Over the weekend, Volgograd observed the 70th anniversary of the bloodiest battle of World War II, the battle in which Nazi forces surrendered, a turning point in the war. The victory of February 2, 1943 was the lead story on the news all day last Saturday, with special programming, interviews with veterans and grainy black-and-white video footage. The battle of Volgograd, that is Stalingrad, waged on for 200 days and has been described as one of the bloodiest in history. As many as two million Soviet citizens were killed.

Just as a rose by any other name is not a rose, veterans have campaigned that Volgograd return to its Soviet-era name, Stalingrad, a rather controversial request. City officials have compromised:  Stanlingrad will be the city's official name on six patriotic days scattered throughout the calendar year including February 2nd. 

A member of our congregation, Elena Lalaevna, served as a nurse during the war. As a decorated veteran, she receives regular letters of appreciation from Moscow, as she puts it. Elena Lalaevna graciously allowed me to photograph her with the newest card signed from the president, himself.

Elena Lalaevna with her card, *70 years after the Battle of Stalingrad.*  (Click  photos to enlarge.)

Pictured inside is Mat' Rodina, or The Motherland Calls, the symbol of  the Volgograd victory, a monument taller than the  Statue of Liberty. The card is beautifully written, expressing gratitude for each veteran's role in the war effort, what a difference his or her bravery made in stopping the Fascist aggression and how their efforts will always be remembered. The card is signed by Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, a most interesting signature.

Speaking of The Motherland statue, here are shots from my trip there one fine May.

Massive. See the people at the base of the statue? Mat' Rodina is atop a hill, 200 steps above the entrance to the memorial area. Each step represents one of the 200 days of the battle.

The general public is not permitted inside the statue. In the second video below, The Motherland Calls, meet the team of mountain climbers assigned to maintain the statue 

This video captures the reverence with which Russia observes such memorial days and the respect given war heroes.Video is courtesy of RT, Russia Today news service.

In this video, we meet the statue's designer and sculptor, the curator and the mountain climbers who maintain the statue.

So, dear Blog Reader, have you been to Volgograd, per chance? Have any family members who served in Russia? Or are you a World War II history buff? Please do share.

Victory Day, a Sacred Day

May 9th is a sacred day across Russia. Today is the 66th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi troops to allied forces. Every Soviet family was affected by the war. According to Russia Today, 27 million Soviets died whereas the combined deaths from the United States and United Kingdom were less than 1 million.

This evening I paid a visit to Victoria, my neighbor upstairs (double-click photos to enlarge). We sat at her kitchen table where she spread out photos and medals. Her family's story is typical: Her father Oleg, center, was a pilot before he was shot down and killed on his first flight in September, 1941. Two months later, Victoria was born, named in a spirit of optimism.

Victoria's mother spoke fluent German, which got her a job as translator for the Nazis. Later, she was sent to prison for collaborating with the enemy. Enter our hero, Oleg, far left, a classmate of Mama's who had loved her from afar during their teens. Oleg was an army physician, serving on the front. He managed to get Mama released from prison and sent home to be with little Victoria. They married and after the war, it was Oleg who would be a father to Victoria during her childhood and youth. Her mother died at 55 but Oleg lived considerably longer. Both are buried here in Rostov-on-Don. Victoria plans to visit the cemetery soon to decorate their graves.

With dear sister Nina, left, a friend from church, in front of a neighborhood cultural center. The banner proclaims, *(Congratulations) with the Great Victory!*

Elena Lalaevna, our sister from church is a decorated war hero, having served as a nurse in a army hospital near Volgograd, then Stalingrad. Once again this year, she received personal congratulations from Russian President Dimitry Medvedev.

Area veterans pictured on a billboard, downtown Rostov. As you can imagine, the number of veterans is dwindles daily. For lots more great photos, please check out these photos and videos. Last year, I spent a morning wandering around downtown and shooting everything. Just for you!

Now let's turn our attention 1,000 kilometers north to Moscow. Russian parades are something to behold, particular those held in Moscow. Red Square is the size of 12 football fields, the perfect staging area for displays of troops and military hardware. According to Russia Today, 20 thousand troops participated in today's parade. Magnificent as it was, last year's was even bigger, being the 65th anniversary. Imagine: US troops marched through Red Square.

The Russian flag, center, is flanked by the Rostov city flag, right, and that of the Rostov Region, left. I'm thankful to be living under the Russian flag versus the Communist flag or that of the Fascists. We can be so grateful to Soviet troops who stopped them. Their efforts came with a very high price tag and on May the 9th, Victory Day, the entire country stops to pay them respect.

Tehran 1943: The Rostov Youth Who Saved the Big Three

On this date in 1943, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt came together at the Tehran Conference to plan strategy in the war against Nazi Germany. Hitler had learned about their plans for a secret meeting and plotted to have them killed or kidnapped. His efforts were thwarted thanks in part to Gevork Vartanyan, a Russian lad born here in Rostov-on-Don, who moved to Iran with his parents.

Just happen to have a photo of The Big Three taken two years after Tehran, during their Yalta Conference in 1945. This, their final meeting together, was at Livadia Palace, the Crimean Republic of Ukraine.

Okay, back to Tehran in 1943. . .

Russia Today (RT) interviewed our hero, Gevork Vartanyan, the legendary spy, now retired. History buffs will enjoy this interview in English. He's quite loyal and diplomatic too as shown when the interviewer asked for his candid opinion about Stalin and his leadership in the war.

This interview is in Russian and conducted at a Moscow university. Here Vartanyan is shown together with his wife. As I understand it, Vartanyan says 75% of his intelligence efforts were thanks to his wife.

U.S. Soldiers March Through Red Square

Allied soldiers from France, England and the U.S. were invited to Moscow in recent days to participate in last Sunday's May 9th Victory Day Parade through Red Square. This was a first. You may have caught glimpses of the parade and evening fireworks on CNN. The festivities in Red Square were duplicated - on a more modest scale, of course - in probably every city across Russia. The motto here seems to be, If it's worth doing, it's worth doing on a massive, over-the-top scale. Gotta love it!

Below are U.S. Army troops practicing in Moscow in the days before the parade, photo courtesy of the U.S. Army website.

Photo by Bob Close

There's a wonderful human interest story here. First a bit of background. Seventy-five soldiers from the U.S. Army Europe, Company C, 2nd Battalion traveled from their base in Germany to Moscow for the festivities. They were accompanied by a 45-piece band from the U.S. Naval Forces, Europe.

According to the army website, back in 1943, a platoon leader of the Soviet Red Army, a Major Alexander Peteryaev was killed in action. Decades later, in 1996, some of the major's descendants immigrated to the States from Vladivostok, the largest city in Russia's far east. And so it is that Major Peteryavev's grandson, 1st Lt. Ilya Ivanov, Russian-born but now a Texan, serves as executive director of Company C. The lieutenant is understandably excited about being back on Russian soil for the festivities.

The video below shows The Allies coming together for the 65th anniversary celebration of the end of the Great Patriotic War, as it is known here in Russia. Of special interest is the attendance of Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, who attended as a special guest of Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin. Unthinkable in 1945. Amazing how time marches on and wounds can heal.

Victory Day 2010: Sunday, May 9th

May 9th is Victory Day across Russia, celebrating the surrender of Fascist forces in 1945. This year was extra-special being the 65th anniversary of the end of The Great Patriotic War, as it is known.

Sixty-five years of victory: Russian retro art - it warms the heart.

This year the parade here in Rostov was a little different. For one thing, the veterans didn't march the parade route because it's getting harder for them to do that. So, as I understand it, they sat in the reviewing stands overlooking Theater Square. But along the parade route came the military hardware. The parade started at 10:00 on Sunday morning and I was able to capture some pre-parade shots before heading to our church services which started at 11:00, three blocks north of the parade route.

However, thanks to Artom, a friend from English Discussion Club, who offered to shoot video of the parade and get interviews with veterans after the parade. Thanks to his efforts, we have lots of great video footage. So I'll pick the best of that and get it edited and translated for you. And for now, here's what I saw of the pre-parade plus lots extra of Rostov adorned for the festivities.

(Click photos to enlarge.) Veteran finding his way to the staging area, asking directions. Go east young man, go east three blocks and you'll be there.


Security was a major concern, with recent bombings in Moscow. These officers were polite but quite thorough in checking through bags and backpacks.

Daddy and baby hurrying to catch the parade. Bouquets for veterans nearly requisite.

Sister Mariam is a war hero, as her medals indicate. Here she is serenaded by Anya and Sofia before church service begins. Our Mariam worked as a digger of trenches during the war. Later, she worked for the Moscow circus. Mariam is compassionate and generous in her own sweet, quiet way. I'm convinced that there's a special place in heaven just for this dear soul. As I mentioned, she's a war hero.

Artash, our preacher, with Mariam. Victory Day was quite the day for Mariam. She was simply glowing. This has been a challenging year for Mariam. Last fall as she was exiting a bus, the driver closed the door and started off before she was completely out. The door closed on her arm, dragging her along with the bus. Her arm got pretty well banged up and an arm bone broken length-wise. And she declined to fault the driver because she didn't want him to lose his job. That's just the kind of lady she is. Mariam is a hero, no doubt about it.



The Berlin store: Have to laugh at the irony of this. . . and I just know that you'll want to laugh too. In 1945, To Berlin was the slogan for Soviet troops going west toward Germany to defeat the Fascists. And now in 2010, there's an upscale clothing store named Berlin here in this very city.

Zooming on in to the Berlin store, the white letters. Need to pop in there for a look around. Guessing it's German-made and/or designed apparel.

Along the street after the parade, guys drinking yogurt and more, sitting in front of an athletic supply store. I was interested in the Nike ad behind which says, Believe: You are stronger than you think. The one guy was downplaying the slogan saying, It's just some American propaganda. That's not something we would say.


Yours Truly with a poster, (Congratulations) with the Holiday!

* * * * *

Got to admit that I'm quite pleased with myself for heading to Theater Square early Thursday to get some shots in the morning sunlight.

This ended up being a splendid idea, without the crowds. Plus ended up with the ultimate photo opportunity, more about that later.

If it's worth doing, it's worth doing in a huge way, seems the Russian philosophy. This massive

mural covers an entire side of the Stella Bank building, proclaiming 65 years.

No one is forgotten; Nothing is forgotten, the banner says over the entrance to Regional Railway Administration building, adjacent to Stella. Who is Stella, you might ask? Well, you'll get to meet her shortly.

School children bringing bouquets to Stella. In early May, lilacs and tulips are most popular. Children are so photogenic, you know, that I decided to just follow along with them and capture the moment.

Here is Stella. Overlooks the Don River and the steppe. Stella is taller than Lady Liberty, as I recall. Got the details on that around here somewhere. . .



The children presented their bouquets to a group of war heroes who happened to be there. Once I learned who these veterans were, things got extra interesting. This little story merits a blog post of its very own, one day very soon.



Leaving Stella, I happened upon this school group of hearing-impaired students. I asked the teacher if maybe they could sign a song for me to tape. Well they're so young, she said. They can't really sing yet. Okaaay.



There they are. Everything is dwarfed by Stella.



Leaving the area, here's Stella and a plane headed to Rostov International Airport.



The bench says (Congratulations) on the holiday! (Congratulations) on the 65th-year of the Great Victory! Indeed.


Four flags: From left is the flag of the Rostov Region (comparable to a state), then the tri-color of Russia, then the red flag of the Communist Party but nowadays with a gold star replacing the hammer and sickle and then the Rostov city flag. We seem to be in fine shape flag-wise.



Statue of mother and child, overlooking Theater Square from the northwest.

Mother statue, wide. Taken from Bolshaya Sadovaya (Big Garden) Street.



Welcome home poster of a homecoming, set in Red Square with a Kremlin tower in the background. Got to love this retro style of Russian art. Located at

Theater Prospect and Maxim Gorky Street.

Zooming on in to this joyful reunion: Sixty-five Years of Victory.