Poland has been taken over again and again throughout history because of the unfortunate tragedy of being located between Russia and Western Europe. It is particularly tragic that it was taken over by the Soviet Union so soon after the utter destruction of Nazi occupation. Life was hard in Poland under Soviet Rule. Now, 26 years after the fall of communism, Poland is a thriving capitalist democracy.
Throughout Poland and the Czech Republican, there are old communist buildings, which were originally ugly and grey, which have been painted in bright colors and crazy patterns since the fall of communism. These buildings are now a cheerful sign of life and recovery and I am completely in love with them. I posted a few pictures here.
Tomasz, who has studied history carefully, reminded us repeatedly that people who live in stable systems tend to take it for granted that those systems will continue forever, when history shows otherwise. It sent chills down my spine when he mentioned that he was afraid for the future of Poland after Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He told us that if you study the language Hitler used when taking over Sudetenland, and the language that Putin used when invading Ukraine, they are almost identical. In his farewell email to us, he begged us to "keep and eye on Poland and follow occasionally some local news from the region."
Throughout Poland and the Czech Republican, there are old communist buildings, which were originally ugly and grey, which have been painted in bright colors and crazy patterns since the fall of communism. These buildings are now a cheerful sign of life and recovery and I am completely in love with them. I posted a few pictures here.
Tomasz, who has studied history carefully, reminded us repeatedly that people who live in stable systems tend to take it for granted that those systems will continue forever, when history shows otherwise. It sent chills down my spine when he mentioned that he was afraid for the future of Poland after Russia’s actions in Ukraine. He told us that if you study the language Hitler used when taking over Sudetenland, and the language that Putin used when invading Ukraine, they are almost identical. In his farewell email to us, he begged us to "keep and eye on Poland and follow occasionally some local news from the region."
After seeing how Poland is thriving and recovering from communism, it is heartbreaking to imagine it happening again. Being here definitely makes me want to pay more attention in the future and protest things that threaten peace in this region.
Our guide in Warsaw told us that people here are afraid to take down soviet-era statues because Russia would get angry. We couldn’t believe that Russia’s power here was strong enough to influence what people do with some old soviet-era statue. (I’m trying to imagine anyone in Russia having an opinion about the statue of Lenin in Fremont, and it seems absurd.) But apparently Russia did get angry when they took down a statue in some other country (Hungary?) and it was a big deal.
(I will have much more to say about Warsaw tomorrow! For now I must sleep.)
Our guide in Warsaw told us that people here are afraid to take down soviet-era statues because Russia would get angry. We couldn’t believe that Russia’s power here was strong enough to influence what people do with some old soviet-era statue. (I’m trying to imagine anyone in Russia having an opinion about the statue of Lenin in Fremont, and it seems absurd.) But apparently Russia did get angry when they took down a statue in some other country (Hungary?) and it was a big deal.
(I will have much more to say about Warsaw tomorrow! For now I must sleep.)
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