Welcome, comrades, to a historical journey through Eastern Europe. It seems amazing that it is less than twenty years since the Berlin Wall fell and the communist regimes across the region began to tumble…here at Soggiorni linguistici e Viaggi all’estero Blog you find an interesting collection of the best remaining relics from the socialist era.
BUDAPEST – Statue Park
Ever wondered where all those statues of Marx, Lenin, Stalin and the rest of the gang ended up following their unceremonious removal in the years after the collapse of communism? In Budapest they collected them all together in one place, and turned it into one of the world’s most fascinating outdoor museums. Opened in 1993, the Statue Park is a fascinating and eerie place, where the gigantic figures and monuments dwarf the visitor, as their original architects no doubt intended for the time they were placed on street corners and public squares as a constant reminder of the power of the political regime. As well as the philosophers and leaders of the global revolution, the park contains numerous statues celebrating the humble farmer, worker and soldier, as well as monuments related to the class struggle around the world, including the Spanish Civil War and the Russian Revolution.
You can find more information, including directions on the official Statue Park website www.szorborpark.hu. Absolute Tours (www.absolutetours.com) run a Hammer and Sickle walking tour, that covers Budapest’s communist past and also visits the park en route.
Berlin – The Wall
The division of Berlin, which began with the post-war occupation of Germany and was formalised in concrete with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, was the ultimate expression in one city of the ideological battle being waged during the Cold War between Communism and Capitalism. Although changes were already under way when the Wall fell in 1989, for many it was the ultimate symbol of the collapse of the socialist regimes. Most of the hated structure was understandably removed, as the unification of the city became the unification of Germany as a whole, but there are still some spots where you can see remnants of what was the most dangerous “border” in Europe. The most famous is the East Side Gallery, a kilometre-long stretch by the Ostbahnhof, decorated by an international group of artists, and known as the largest outdoor art gallery in the world.
For more on the history of the Berlin Wall, visit the Documentation Centre on Bernauer Strasse, which highlights many of the tragic personal tales of the division, as well as the general historical framework in which the division of Germany took place.
Moscow – Lenin’s Mausoleum
The man himself. Ninety years ago, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov – Lenin- was one of the leaders of the October Revolution that would transform Russia into a socialist state, and five years later the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the great ideological enemy of the West and the big brother to the rest of the Eastern bloc. Lenin died in 1924; only seven years after the Revolution, and in death became a symbol for the Communist regime that was almost religious in its reverence.
Towns and cities across the USSR and other communist countries erected statues of the man, and in Moscow his body was preserved and put on display in the Lenin Mausoleum, becoming a place of pilgrimage for many. Despite debates as to do with Lenin in recent years, the Mausoleum remains open and the public can still view Lenin’s preserved body. Despite the collapse of the USSR and the end of Communism in Russia, there remain long lines of people wanting a glimpse of the man.You will find the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow, and it is open every day except Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1pm. You can visit a virtual mausoleum online at http://lenin.ru/mas_e.htm
ALBANIA – Hoxha’s Bunkers
Of all the dictators that led the regimes of Communist Europe, Albania’s Enver Hoxha was easily the most batty (and he had some competition). As First Secretary of the Albanian Communist Party, Hoxha ruled the nation from the end of the Second World War until his death in 1985. Following a strictly Stalinist interpretation of Communism, he managed to isolate Albania from the whole of Europe including the Soviet bloc following Stalin’s death, and even potential allies such as China. His control of the country was absolute, and hi paranoia knew no bounds…it was this duel fear of internal uprising and invasion from the outside that led to the building of over 750,000 pillbox-style bunkers that still dot the landscape to this day and are some of the odder-lookong legacies of communism.The bunkers can be found throughout Albania, particularly on th coast and on the main routes to the capital Tirana, their UFO-stylings a spooky reminder of the paranoia of a dictator who had isolated himself,
and his country, from reality.
