Communist All-stars Reign at Statue Park, Budapest

October 23, 1989, Hungary became an independent republic after 33 years of Soviet rule. Ironically, Soviet troops saw themselves as liberators in 1945 when they marched in, freeing Hungary from Nazi domination. Therein lies one of the great ironies of history: A country being freed from one totalitarian regime by another such regime.

When a regime falls, so do its monuments, notes Rick Steves, leading authority on European travel.

In the decades since Communism crumbled, Hungarians have resisted the impulse to demolish the statuary white elephants from the Soviets, collecting them instead  in Momento Park, an outdoor museum on the outskirts of Budapest.

I managed to visit Momento Park one recent spring. Care to join me for a look around? First, here's Rick Steves and The Communist All-Stars of Statue Park.

Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union and Prime Minister.

The German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels co-authored The Manifesto of the Communist Party.

 The Soviet commander who liberated Budapest, February 1945, ordered a massive Liberation Monument of which this Soviet soldier was part.

Hungarian-Soviet Friendship Memorial: Ah yes, we get the body-language.

Vladimir Lenin: The man does get around.

Workers' Movement Memorial: Dedicated in 1976, as a symbol of the social and political results of the last three decades. 

Monument to Hungarian fighters in the Spanish International Brigades. Umm, okay. . .

The dutiful worker is honored here with the Republic of Councils Statue.
Since then, it has been dubbed The Cloak-room Attendant, shouting, Madam, you've forgotten something!

Happy Birthday! For his 70th birthday 1949, Hungarians gave Stalin the grandest statue of all. . himself up on a pedestal.

Sadly, to some at least, the Stalin statue was short-lived. The Hungarians revolted in 1956, demolishing the statue, a rather bold gesture but likely a response to the changing winds of politics in Moscow. It was Soviet leader Nikita Kruzhchev who began de-Stalinization after Stalin's death in 1953, first with his anti-Stalin speech to communist leaders in February, 1956. Later that year, the Hungarians revolted.

The Stalin monument was blown up in October, 1956 and only the boots remained. Here's the Momento Park replica of those boots.

Monument to the Martyrs of the Counter-Revolution, referring to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a dark chapter in national history.

How wonderful that the grandchildren of those who witnessed the Communist era in Hungary can now visit Momento Park and catch a glimpse of their political heritage.

Aldrich Ames: One Spy's Search for Significance

In February, 1994, Aldrich Ames was arrested and charged with selling secrets to the USSR. In his 30-year career with the CIA, Ames was promoted to chief of counterintelligence for the Soviet Division. He had easy access to the most delicate information of Soviet-American espionage.

In the early 1980's, Ames and his first wife divorced and as part of the settlement, he agreed to pay $46,000 over three years. But with an annual income of $60,000 and new wife who enjoyed the finer things of life, he was facing bankruptcy. Looking for a second source of income, he realized that the information at his fingertips could bring him a nice sum of cash. 

And so it was that Aldrich and Rosario began rather conspicuously to upgrade their standard of living. Stationed in Rome, Ames replaced his thrifty casuals for tailored Italian suits and $600 leather shoes. The new Jaguar in Ames' garage was worth more than his annual income but when zooming north through the Italian Alps and into Switzerland, he imagined himself a James Bond. 

Meanwhile, Russian informants were disappearing. The CIA had become alarmed and assigned a small team to investigate. In the video below, meet the pair accredited with catching Ames.

The list of Russian informants that Aldrich Ames sold to the Soviets included a General Deimitry Polykov who had supplied information for 20 years. One CIA source said that when a package of information arrived from Polykov, it was like Christmas. There was something for everyone. Polykov was described as the crown jewel, the perfect spy. And then he simply disappeared. 

Aldrich Ames is serving a life sentence without parole. He admits, The reasons that I did what I did in April of 1985 were personal, banal, and amounted really to kind of greed and folly. As simple as that.

The most cold-blooded traitor in US history, Ames was also the world's highest paid spy, having received more than 2 million cash with another 2 million dollars in a Moscow bank awaiting his retirement.

What really amazed me about Rick Ames is that I thought he had a feeling of loyalty to the people whom he dealt with and that is the betrayal that I can't understand, said FBI agent R. Patrick Watson.

As I see it, this drama comes down to money and what a person is willing to do in exchange for cash. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (I Timothy 6:10). Actually, at the root is discontentment, wanting to be more significant, or rather to feel more significant. And believing that significance can be bought. And that it can be purchased with people's lives.

Let us learn to be content. Let us learn that significance is a given, whether or not we feel it. 

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.

Russia Honors *Defenders of the Fatherland*

As we approach midnight, the celebratory fireworks have faded away here in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. You see, February 23rd is an official Russian holiday, a red day on the calendar, known as the Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland. Originally the holiday was to honor members of the Red Army, but nowadays, all men are pleased to be congratulated. Including little tykes who are defending nothing more than their own honor out on the playground.

The card says, 23 of February. (Congratulations) with the Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland!

Now, if I had my act together, I'd have baked a double-batch of brownies and sprinted up the stairway here, delivering treats to the neighbor guys. But come to think of it, I did all that for Thanksgiving. So maybe they'll forgive me.

Fortunately Russian President Demitry Mevedev was busy congratulating the guys. He's got his act together, that's for sure.

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.

Soviets Send Dogs into Space: Fifty Years Ago Today

On this day in 1960, Belka and Strelka ~ that is Whitey and Arrow ~ were sent into orbit as the first Soviet space travelers to return safely to earth. Another story entirely is how one of Strelka's descendants got into the White House as Caroline Kennedy's pet.

Belka and Strelka closely followed in the pawprints of Little Laika, who had made history as the first Soviet space martyr. And then following spring, Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut, in April 1961. Gagarin quipped that he didn't know who he was: the first human or the last dog in space. Thanks to Russia Today for this fascinating video about today's heroes, Belka and Strelka.

A salute to Kyle at Windows to Russia for his great post on the story.

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.

Remembering the Chernobyl Disaster

On this day, the 26th of April, 1986, the world's worst nuclear accident happened in Chernobyl, Ukraine. The amount of radiation released on that day was 100 times more than that of the atomic bombs dropped over Japan in 1945.

I was reminded of the Chernobyl disaster in recent weeks when traveling by train from Warsaw, Poland through northwest Ukraine to Kiev. I asked a fellow traveler about the cooling towers below and we got to talking about the disaster. He said that we were, in fact, traveling through the Chernobyl District en route to the capital.

From a distance looking north, I wondered what on earth that was.

A closer look. Later, I asked Michael Sadler, PhD, physics whiz supreme, what these were. He said that they're cooling towers at an electrical power plant and that from what's visible in the photos, they don't appear to be nuclear power plants. But you already knew all that, right?



Here's the link for the video above, Extreme Tourism at Chernobyl Ghost-Town, produced by Russia Today and Chernobyl Uncensored: A Documentary includes chilling details.

How about you, dear blog reader. Were you affected by the disaster? Do you know anyone who was?

The Rosenbergs: A Granddaughter's Perspective

On this day in 1951, Americans Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for acts of espionage for the Soviet Union. They were accused of passing information about the atomic bomb from a source in Los Alamos -- namely, Mrs. Rosenberg's brother who was employed there -- to the Russian vice consul in New York. The Rosenbergs maintained their innocence until their executions in June, 1953. Their deaths left two young boys, Robert and Michael.

This video was produced by the Rosenbergs' granddaughter, Ivy Meeropol. As she notes, her quest was not that of determining guilt or innocence but that of shedding light on what drove her grandparents and who they were as people. This is a gripping story of Cold War drama and to this day, unanswered questions remain.

U-2 Spy Plane Enjoying Revival

The U-2 spy plane figured prominently in information-gathering during the Cold War. You might remember the U-2 spy plane incident with Gary Powers' being shot down and captured live in 1960, much to the delight to Nikita Krushchev. But now, 50 years later, the U-2 isn't ready for mothballs quite yet. In today's New York Times, a fascinating slide show and story about how the U-2 continues to stand the test of time.

Soviets *Liberate* Budapest: 65 Years Ago Today

On this day in 1945, Soviet forces booted Nazi troops out of Budapest. Speaking of boots, can you imagine who once filled these? One little clue: It was not George Washington.


These boots here belonged to Joseph Stalin. (Click photo to enlarge.) Which was worse: to live in a nation occupied by Nazi troops? Or by Soviet troops? So glad you asked.



Given the choice, Hungarians decided they weren't too fond of Communism either. Actually, they were not given the choice. But after Stalin's death in 1953, and after Nikita Kruzhchev's secret anti-Stalin speech in 1956, Hungarians got busy and staged a revolt. In no time flat, Stalin got nudged off his pedestal.


Let's zoom in closer to see what's left. This monument and dozens more from the Soviet era have been collected into Statue Park, located on the outskirts of Budapest. Those folks had a clever idea: Rather than demolish these huge things, Hungarians decided to gather them in one spot, not to honor, but rather, to remember that chapter of history. Oh, I have so many more photos of that park. And a booklet. And postcards. Guess living here in the former Soviet Union is what makes this all so interesting. You'll forgive me, will you not, for not sharing more statue photos?

Because it's Valentine's Day weekend, for pity sake. How about we have a look at something a bit more delicate.

This will pass for delicate: A nice lady stitching up a storm. Visiting this indoor market is a must when snooping around Budapest. This place is filled with souvenirs, none of which is a particular bargain. And bargains, I do like. Unless we're talking about books. Then I'll fork over the cash rather easily.


Look what she makes, these magnificently embroidered items. Breathtaking to behold. Of course I bought a little something from her, maybe it was the little beaded purse for my niece.


By the way, I was raised on a Hungarian street in Ohio. Wait, let me rephrase that. We lived on Kertesz Road just south of Akron, Ohio. It had been the farmland of a Mr and Mrs Kertesz who had immigrated from Hungary years before we moved there in June, 1963. Kertesz means gardener in English. My point is. . .


Here we are at the corner of Kertesz in downtown Budapest. In Hungarian, it's pronounced close to Curtis. But we residents of Kertesz banded together and went a more exotic ~ kur-TEZ. That made things easier somehow.



See, up close: It's Kertesz Street. I'm wondering if Mr and Mrs Kertesz might have immigrated from Hungary during the revolution. That would have been a fine time to exit the country. Wish I had thought back in 1963 or so to ask them. . . All I knew back then was that they talked funny. Now I realize that they had seen so much history in their younger years.


So back to the very center of town, some more interesting architecture. A very European-looking church spire there in the distance. And. . . a McDonald's! Now that's a sure sign of independence!

How about you, dear Blog Reader. Have you any Hungarian connections? Been to Budapest? Or have you ever been involved in demolishing a statue? Please share! It's just us here, you know. ;)

PS: A Hungarian heart for you, *just because!*