Eastern Europe

 

CroatianWeapon

We don't expect to ever fully understand this part of the world with all the troubles they have experienced from the rule of dictators to the conflicts that resulted when the Iron Curtain came crashing down. But we believe their story offers a cautionary tale for all of us, and we wanted to share some of the things we learned:

• These countries have a long history of being occupied beginning with Attila the Hun, then on to the Turks, Austrians, Nazis, and finally the Soviets. One guide told us they like to think they took the best things from each of their occupiers (like paprika from the Turks), but there was nothing good from the Soviets.

• Hungary lost 2/3 of their country after WWI.

• Hungarians murdered more Jews during WWII than anyone, even the Germans. (This was told to us by a Hungarian guide.)

• Our Viking program director, Gabor, kindly shared his experiences growing up behind the Iron Curtain. His bottom line: "Never again. Anywhere."

Bullet-pierced vehicles

Gabor told us of false government statistics that made it look as if the country were thriving. Children were brainwashed through Communist clubs that replaced church groups and scouting. And in a classic Catch 22, you couldn't get a job unless you were a member of the Communist Party, and unemployment was an offense resulting in jail time.  So join the Party or go to jail. (And yet after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, people were punished for belonging to the Party. The incongruities never end.)

• Gabor's most sobering story was about the time his parents took a vacation to Western Europe (quite rare to be able to leave the country); however, Gabor had to stay at home with relatives. He was upset and couldn't understand, but it was a common practice. The state would keep at least one family member behind to insure the vacationers would return.  Gabor was being held as a hostage.

• In Belgrade, the city was in the midst of a months-long peaceful protest with students hoping to end the rampant corruption and make government work for the people, providing better hospitals, schools etc. Universities were closed causing students to miss class and professors to go without paychecks, but they were passionate about driving change and many adults were starting to join them. (As of today, these protests have become violent with reports of police brutality.)

• 

  Vintage Soviet era car

  A special speaker shared that much of the problems here stem from a major split in 1000 a.d. when Hungary and Croatia joined with Western Europe and Catholicism while the other countries were conquered by the Turks and became Greek Orthodox (with some even becoming Muslim).

• He also said that unlike most countries, people here are aligned with their ethnicity, not the country they live in causing major polarization.

• Another guide told us that communism finally broke religion because if you had a good job and someone saw you in a church, you would be fired.

• In Bulgaria, we were also told that during communism everyone had money (since they were all paid by the state), but there was nothing decent to buy since communist goods were junk. For example, grocery stores carried only two kinds of cheese and bananas and oranges were only available a few times a year, usually for the "Grandpa Frost Celebration" on New Year's Day (a poor replacement for Christmas and Santa). Now, nice things are available, but they don't have the money to buy them.

One last observation. When we were here in 2005, we were touched by the people's sense of optimism after finally shaking off the oppression of communism. Now, the mood is much more subdued. It seems creating new countries with new freedoms is harder and takes longer than anyone expected. Plus the specter of Putin is never far from anyone's thoughts.