The Toys

Lenin, Stalin and the Boys of '44
Minsk, the capital of Belarus, a city of ten million people, was essentially deserted.

Why?
Because of the Victory Parade, which commemorates the victory of the Soviet peoples over fascist forces during World War II.

It is Belarus' most popular holiday.
The entire central part of the city was covered with people. The parade was eerie: silent, respectfull. There were no marching bands, no majorettes twirling whatever it is they twirl. Just a deep, solemn silence.

I was stuck by two things: One, the prevalence of uniforms. I've never seen so much khaki in my life. Two, the amount of security people President Lukashenko seems to feel he needs. They were everywhere. Note the photos, all those tightlyt cropped young men are security people with short tempers and big guns.
Everyone marched toward the tall column in the center of Minsk which celebrates the victory over the Nazis. It was very difficult to move, even more difficult to see (we were late because Vladimir was not allowed to drive his car into town to pick me up; another security regulation).
Lenin and Stalin have lost none of their popularity here. Without a doubt, these people want to go back to the halcyon days of the communist state when everyone had a job, there was little poverty and no crime.

I find it interesting that Lenin and Stalin are usually paired together here--yet Lenin greatly distrusted Stalin's ambition and warned Party members to watch him closely.
The suitably and properly heroic friezes along the side of the war memorial in Minsk.

Twenty-five percent of the people in Minsk died during the war. The city was completely destroyed.
People came by the thousands to lay flowers at the foot of the memorial, where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is found..

Those men to the left with a chestfull of medals are veterans of the conflict. They were honored throughout the day by the people, who thanked them for their sacrifice and gave them red tulips.
The most charming little girl stepped out of the crowd and shyly curtsied before an old, stooped over veteran. She thanked him and gave him one of the tulips she held in her arms. He smiled and thanked her.

It was such a touching scene.

She was so gorgeous that I wanted to take her home with me. And given the current status of things in Belarus, perhaps her mother would have let me.

In no time at all, the flowers began to pile up all around the base of the monument. Red was the color of the day, with the odd yellow or white daffodil. And tulips were the flowers of choice.
Another veteran. One can't help but wonder what those eyes have seen during a conflict which took the life of 20 million Russians.

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