Posted on 11/21/2010 6:24:19 AM PST by franksolich
It was in March of 1995 that I found myself in Kiev; I disremember why I had gone there, but it must have been important, as when wandering around the socialist paradises of the workers and peasants with free medical care for all, I generally avoided the big cities, preferring instead to amble around the backwoods, the boondocks, the rural areas.
It was the beginning of spring, but still cold from winter. I had contacted a family, saying I would show up at their home on such-and-such a date, to which they responded, "sure, fine, okay; we'll be here."
The family lived in the northern part of the city, in an area that had once been designated for members of the Communist party; in other words, apartments that were somewhat larger than the usual housing. By American standards--and most certainly by Sandhills of Nebraska standards--such places were actually tiny and cramped, barely more than three or four broom-closets put together.....
(Excerpt) Read more at conservativecave.com ...
Ping for the list.
The first few entries look very interesting...ping for later.
Amazing story and photos.....
This is a glimpse into recent Socialist paradise history that we here in the USA could not hope to see.
Thank you so much.
I’m glad you posted this. Ping me anytime you post. I read your whole story, and enjoyed it very much. Next year I will be off on a journey of my own, and this is very helpful to me.
Read it with great interest, you are a good writer. Thanks for opening a window for us on the reality of life in a socialist country.
We sure need to count our blessings every day, our petty complaints pale when witnessing the hardship of others.
Blessings, etabeta
Thanks for posting this. Very entertaining.
Wow! Thank you for a wonderful Sunday Morning read.
Happening upon gems, (and the knowledge within), such as this piece, adds to the ever growing list of reasons that to love FR.
May God bless.
Tatt
Sigh.... read ALOUD Tatt, before posting...
Happening upon gems, (and the knowledge within), such as this piece, adds to the ever growing list of reasons **** to love FR.
: /
Interesting.
Who knew National Geographic maps could be used for currency and ice breakers?
Very interesting. I’ve been thinking about Ukraine recently.
Thanks a lot for this remarkable story. I’ve always been interested in what’s become of the old Soviet empire and the surrounding Warsaw Pact countries since the dissolution of the USSR. Stories about them are scarce in the western media. I’m sure life is not quite as dire now for these people as it was shortly after the demise. I hope they’re all living better. I work with a Romanian emigre, but I haven’t known him long enough to ask questions about life in Romania.
Wonderful read full of intriguing details. I wonder what exactly happened to the neighbor in Magadan.
Interesting concept, for an alleged conservative.
I apologize for any misconception; where this is originally posted is a site that draws a lot of lurking primitives (DUmmies), and some of my "asides" are directed at them.
According to the DUmmies, Republicans have "machines," although for the life of me, I can't find any, as the last Republican "machine" (Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) seems to have evaporated circa 1930.
It's a crack at the primitives (DUmmies); people at the site where this is originally posted understand what I was doing, with that comment.
I'm sorry for any misconception, but it happens when one's writing a single thing for two diametrically-opposed "audiences."
Such things happen; my whole life is proof of that. Even though I can't physically hear what people say, with some of them (actually with a fairly-large minority of them), one grasps what they are saying.
I'm currently writing a shorter description (much shorter than this one) about Thanksgiving in Ukraine.
Of course, that's not a holiday over there (or in most of the world), but I had one of them with a woman from Long Island, New York, who happened to be around, too.
I've sometimes thought about giving it to the local newspaper out here in the Sandhills of Nebraska, but never did, because people in this Time and Place couldn't possibly "relate" to it.
It's a different world out there; one has to see it before one can possibly imagine it.
In our case, it's hard to imagine being grateful to God when one has no electricity, no heat, no water, disarray and filth and problems all around, but all comes from God, and so one is compelled to thank God, no matter what it is that comes.
It surprised--and of course gratified--me when I figured that out.
All things have unanticipated consequences, good and bad.
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