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Former Eastern Bloc Countries Embrace the Future


Nicolae Ceausescu on the backs of Romanians who had little to eat and were denied basic needs such as hot water and heat. The second-largest building in the world by sur- face area (second only to the Pentagon), its gold and marble pale in comparison to the joys, hopes, and freedoms Roma- nian citizens are again discovering after Ceausescu’s reign of brutality and repression ended in 1989. In Vukovar, Croatia, evidence of the Croatian War of Independence (1991–95) is refl ected in bullet-riddled buildings and empty, bombed-out homes and businesses. The Yugoslav People’s Army attacked the city when Croa- tia declared independence from Yugoslavia to become a sovereign state. “My father said everyone thought govern- ment offi cials were talking it through, and then one day the


K 30 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2016


nowing its history, nothing is beautiful about the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania (shown above). It was built by communist leader


bombs began to fall,” says a local. “My family managed to escape in the middle of the night and fl ee to Germany.” Even with its disheartening recent past, Eastern Europe again is celebrating its culture and traditions. In Hungary, the Horsemen of the Puszta train their horses not to fear the crack of a whip, which simulates gunfi re (don’t worry — the whips never touch the horses). As they once did cen- turies ago, the horses also sit and lie down in the tall prairie grass to hide from enemies. In Bucharest, the Village Mu- seum off ers a view of Romanian history featuring houses, farmsteads, and churches moved there in the late 1930s. Once again, locals embrace folk dancing, music, and art;


shopkeepers sell beautifully handcrafted souvenirs; and sidewalk café menus feature traditional foods. Reasons abound to visit Eastern Europe, and there are many more reasons to celebrate its heritage and its future.


— Marilyn Jones PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


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