Eastern Europe Tour - Bulgaria (1)

At the end of June 2019, my husband and I went to several countries in Eastern Europe, and the first one we arrived was Bulgaria. Bulgaria was once a member of the Warsaw Organization, considered a satellite state of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. The planned economy and ideology during the Cold War were deeply influenced by the Stalin period in the Soviet Union. Although they broke away from the Soviet model in the early 1990s and began to use the Western parliamentary electoral system, many older people are still fond of their past lives, and society presents Diverse values. Let's take a peek at Bulgaria's past and present by entering the Socialist Art Museum in Sofia.

I was idle in Sofia and accidentally found the socialist museum under construction. The name immediately piqued our interest and wondered about Bulgaria's past, have we ever been the same? Curiosity led us to a museum that was not yet open to the public and was in preparation. When knowing that we came here on purpose, the person in charge opened the door for us.

The first thing that catches our eyes are several leaders of the Comintern. They used to be leaders in the communist camp, and they were great figures in dealing with the Western democratic camp. Even though Bulgaria has joined the European Union and became a part of the free world, you can still feel the pulse of that era and the shock from the depths of your soul when you walk into this museum.

The director of the museum, Nick, told us that the communist fighter was berating the Nazis in Germany. That resolute gaze seemed to let me see when I was a child, sing praises to those communist fighters who gallantly sacrificed their lives. It turns out that if you believe in Marxism, no matter what country you are from, the belief on your face is the same. Personal life is insignificant compared to faith, and a strong will can defeat a powerful enemy! What an epic time it was!

This picture should be from China. I often saw similar pictures when I was a child. At that time, I thought that we represented the whole world, and imperialism was just a small poke, and it would definitely bring about its own demise!

After a long absence, a "Changjin Lake" movie brought us back to the age of blood boiling. Did not expect to see such a picture in a corner of the world? I told Nick, I was very excited, this kind of picture is very difficult to see even in China. It's familiar to me, after all I once recited "Who's the cutest person" verbatim.

Nick knew that we were Chinese from Hong Kong and had an envious look on his face. He said that although Bulgaria has embarked on a democratically elected parliamentary system, the economy has not yet picked up, and many older people still miss the Soviet Union era. He said that most of the younger generation likes today's democratic system. They love freedom and yearn for a free world. Although the economy is not good, they cherish the right to free elections. Speaking of this, Nick looked helpless, he said that he hoped to travel around the world like us.

After visiting several Eastern European countries, I feel that they are on the fringes of the free world, just like the fourth-tier cities in China, living a leisurely life without surprises. Maybe they are content, but I misunderstood.

Leaving the museum, I feel a little emotional. In the long river of history and in different corners of the world, because of belief, we have once stood side by side and back to back; also because of the changes of the times, the loss of beliefs, the collision of ideologies, and the economic development of globalization, Makes different parts of the world have undergone earth-shaking changes. The past becomes the eternal past, and the future is unpredictable.

During the nearly three years of the epidemic, the world has been blocked and quarantined to varying degrees. Although people in some areas have walked out of the blockade area and people in some areas have enjoyed a normal life, is this world farther or closer? ? Are people in Bulgaria still struggling with which era is better?