Bulgaria museum enshrines Soviet era

Published August 30, 2011 |

Giant statues of Soviet dictators Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin. Paintings of enthusiastic socialist laborers. A huge red star that graced Communist Party headquarters.

As Europe marks the 20th anniversary of the Soviet collapse, this nation is opening a museum dedicated to the totalitarian past. A debate is raging on whether the museum romanticizes the Soviet era or teaches new generations about its horrors.

Other former communist countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary have long had similar museums; the fact it has taken Bulgaria this long to open one is a sign of its fraught transition to democracy.

The Boston Globe

Chris Rivait

Chris loves history and hopes that Yesteeyear becomes a place where everyone can share their history knowledge. Chris owns an Internet Marketing company, Arrivait Marketing. He has a wonderful wife and four great children.