(REAL) SOVIET

STORIES

Immersion in Central

European communist times

Introduction

Maybe some of you remember those times and you actually lived it, but

those who were born few years later know soviet times just from long

and often told stories.

We are a group of Slovak students at LEAF Summer English Camp

2015 and we created this book only for you so you will remember and

keep these memories forever.

Martin Sušienka, Petra Štubendeková, Filip Glatz, Lenka Gábrišová,

Emma Kramárová, Denisa Lakoštíková.

CONTENT

Fashion & art ……………………………………………………………………………………………...……………. page 4

Mary in a big world…………………………………………………………………………………………….…...... page 5

Dark chocolate…………………………………………………………………………………………………...………page 6

Food………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………page 7-10

Mouse of the Church……………………………………………………………………………………………..….. page 11-12

Sad story of an athlete …………………………………………………………………………………………….…..page 13-14

Soviet architecture………………………………………………………………………………………………….……page 15-16

Sweet dreams……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...page 17-18

My communist life…………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..page 19-20

DARK CHOCOLATEHello. My name is Ciprian and I'm living with my parents in Slovakia,near Hungary borders in a family house with garden. We don't have adog, but I want one. My mother, father and me are sitting in the kitchen.In my mother's eyes, there are glittering tears. I'm not sure why, but I feelsad for it.

My teacher thinks that America is the worst place to live in on the wholeworld. When I asked her if she had ever been there, she said 'no.' So, Ibelieve my parents. At school, I started to draw that 'New Yours.' I built into my notebooka school, our house and our big company, which we used to own. When meteacher asked me what the hell I'm doing during the lesson, I explained toher that we used to have a company, bigger house, and my dad was veryangry yesterday, because the state and socialism and I don't evenremember what else took these from us. So he wants to leave our countrywith me and my mother, go to America and start a new life. Totally proudof my beautiful painting, I showed her my dreamy 'New Yours' in myMaths workbook.

She called my parents and had a talk with them, during which I waswith my grandparents. I had fun and ate four pancakes there! My fatherusually doesn't care about my paintings in the workbooks and mymother smiles when she sees them. But this evening is very different. Myfather is angry and my mother is crying. It's dark in the room.

Maybe it's because I was drawinginto my notebook at school. Myteacher was angry and complainedto my parents. But I built a citythere! A city called new 'New Your,'or 'York,' or something like that.My father was talking about thatcity with my mother yesterdayevening. I know that that city is inAmerica.

MARY IN A BIG WORLD

I am very excited, because this is not happening very often. We had a lot oftroubles with this trip. The communist did not want us to travel to the UK andgive the performance there. It was really complicated but we made it. Currentsituation in Czechoslovakia is not good. People are poor, often follower because oftheir religious beliefs, they cannot freely choose the University they want toattend. Day by day it´s getting worse, but I have my family there and I lovethem. I don´t really like the idea that came to my mind. I have just started tothink about migration. I think this chance is unique and I won´t have anotherone like that. Maybe I could go to Austria, but I am worried that they would findme there. What about Canada? It has been my favorite state since I was a child. Idon´t really know what should I do. I don´t have anything with me, just myhandbag and few personal things. I will try it. I will leave this country andeverything will be better. Of course, I will miss my family very much, but I willhave a chance to live a normal life and, plus, my family doesn´t know anythingabout my plans, do they won´t have any problems because of me…

...Few years laterI have just got a letter from Czechoslovakia. The communism is over. I can returnhome freely without any punishment. We can travel, work and study wherever wewant. It´s truly amazing. I missed my family so much. I have a son now. He is 6and he has just started to attend an elementary school two months ago. He will beexcited about this holidays, but just holidays. Our home is here now. We won´treturn. We will stay few weeks, but that´s all.

My name is Mary, I am 24 and I live inCzechoslovakia. The situation in our familyis very difficult. We lost all our money andproperty twice during my life, my brothercould not get to university and I work in asmall local store. We are six at home. Myparents, my younger sister and two brothers.In my free time I love to read, because mymother always taught us that it wasimportant. I love late evening walks and Ising in a choir. Right now I am somewhere inGreat Britain.

FOOD IN SOCIALIST GERMANY

FOOD IN SOCIALIST HUNGARY

FOOD IN CSSR

FOOD IN POLISH PEOPLE´S

REPUBLIC

WESTERN BLOCK´ FOOD

ňň

FOOD IN SOVIET TIMES

Food in Soviet times was very different from the food

in the states of the western bloc. In each bloc, every

state was producing its own products. For example,

"Krowki" from Polish market could compete with

Hungarian "Tibi," as well as Slovak "Horalky" were

rivals for Czech "Študentská pečeť". However, each

block had its own products, usually produced in its

states because in America the sweets were good

enough and in Socialist and People´s republics of

Eastern bloc it was very difficult to bring even

something little from "ugly capitalistic" countries.

Maybe it was good, maybe not, but it is certain that

products of each culture were simple. As many people,

that many minds.

MOUSE OF THE CHURCH

7th September 1975

My name is Václav. I live in Levice for all my life. I´m teacher at a secondary

school. I love my family as much as I can. But now in 1975 I cannot give them

everything they need. Everyone in our family are Catholics. We are strong

Catholics, mainly Iveta, my wife but I´m teacher. We can go to church just to

some other town. We go every Sunday to my wife´s mother to Zvolen. Nobody

knows us there, except for her mother, of course. We went there today, too. It´s

good that it´s the end of holiday. I like winter more than hot summer.

29th September 1975

My colleague Dávid, a die-hard communist, hates me, I know it. It is just his first

year here and he already got an offer to go to District People´s Committee. I think

he knows that something is not right with my every week family trips to Zvolen. I

suspect him of watching us on The Assumption (15th September).

2nd November 1975

It was a hard day today. Beautiful sermon and mass, too. Full church. I would

forget. That robber! When I was leaving the church, next to my car was some

man and I did not like what he was doing there. When he saw me, he quickly

started to run away. And something lightened in his hand. I feel sick about it. But

dinner was very good. As always. Baked duck with that good cabbage and

dumpling bread was irresistible!

21st November 1975

Headmaster called me today to his office. He expelled me! Really! And I was

deputy headmaster. Deputy himself! What will I do now? Of course it isn´t all -

unhappiness never goes alone. During sixth lesson someone on the school radio

declared that I am expelled and that my position will be reserved by Mgr. Dávid

Lešník, member of city parliament. I got a letter with state decision to move to

Chomutov. My family will

probably not have very happy

Christmas but I already know

who wanted to steal my car.

Sad story of an athlete

I am Silvia. I live in a village near Trenčín. When

I was 8 I started to do athletics. The stadium is in

Trenčín, so I have to go there every day for

trainings. I love it. I want to participate (one day) in

Olympic Games. I´m a winner.

We live in a normal house. My mum is obsessed

with religion, so I don´t even have a chance to go

to University. She openly speaks about it. She

doesn´t care about my future. Anyways, I am happy

that I have good results and the state supports me in

my practice.

My life is very simple. I get up. I have to go to

school. After the school I have trainings. It´s hard,

but it´s my life. I don´t have many friends, because

I don´t have time.

This month there will be European championship

and I am invited. I have to be in a good condition. I

am sure I´m in good condition. Now, I´m in

stadium. I am going to last 60 m in hurdles this

training. Okay. I´m ready. Suddenly I wake up in

hospital.

What did happen? I see my mum. I can´t move my

leg. Doctor said I would be happy if I would walk

once again. They said they could perform surgery

on me only if my parent´s would be in the

communist party or had a lot of money. They told

my mother that if she would give up on Christ,

maybe they could think about it, because I was a

good athlete. But this would never happen.

It never happened ad my aunt has an artificial leg.

She could not do athletics anymore. Now she is in

her 50s and she does her career in an orphanage.

Sweet dreams

I was 17, almost 18 years old when this

happened to me. When I was young, I used to love

dogs. Once after school when I was walking

home I saw a brown dog. I wanted to pet him,

because he looked sad and alone. I came closer

and he

attacked me.

He bit my leg.

It hurt for a

while but then

it stopped. But

after a week

it turned red

and it did not

look good. I

also did not

feel well so

my mom took

me to see a

doctor.

They senT me home and Told me “IT Is noThIng”.

The next day I felt really dizzy and I nearly

fell off the stairs, so we went to the hospital

again. They told me I had an infection and that

there was a possibility that I would lose my

leg. I remember it was exam time and I was

about to graduate, so I was very important. I

did not feel better, so I needed to stay in the

hospital for nearly two months. When I came to

school it was already after the exam period. I

missed the exams and I could not pass them, so I

could not finish my high school education. I did

not know what to do. Later I learned that

could have asked for a special application

and repeat the exams. Nobody told me that! So

I had to go and work. I started to cook in

school. I have been cooking there for 43 years.

Now I am close to my pension and I am planning

to finish my high school. I will have plenty of

time now. They already accepted me there. I am

so proud of myself. Maybe I have lost 43 years

of my life, maybe I would end up better, but

perhaps worse. I have a family, kids and

grandchildren who are supporting me. So I

believe in myself. I have always wanted to be

a doctor, and now I know, it´s never too late to

fulfil my dreams.

My communist life

I was born in 1943. I went to a primary school in Banská

Bystrica. My mother was a teacher, comrade, and father was a

miner in Germany. I saw him once a month on Sunday. Mother

was doing everything at home. We were living in a flat in Zvolen.

It was a very big flat. We did not believe in God.

In 1957 I went to high school in Bratislava. I started to study

economics. I did not have any brothers or sisters. Also I was a

pioneer. I loved the ceremonies on 1st May. We were singing and

dancing. All the people were happy and I was happy too.

I had one classmate. He did not like our beautiful country

Czechoslovakia. He was stupid. One day he did not come to

school and Mrs. Nováková, our teacher – comrade, told us that he

was an American spy, planning and attack.

I always knew it. He had always been talking about freedom,

peace and something like democracy. Stupid boy. He was not

normal. Why democracy. Everyone was happy in our country, had

to obey the same rules, and had the same salary… It was much

better than a dream. We had everything that we needed. In

America, there were many criminals, drugs, and unhealthy

people… I hated America. I could not remember his name,

something like Jaromir or Jaroslav?

After my great a beautiful high school times I wanted to get to

University in Moscow. I wanted to study economics. I became a

member of the Communist party. It was great. People in the party

were very intelligent and were doing many amazing and exciting

things. I loved it. When I told them why I came there, what I

wanted to do, who I was and what I loved, they sent me to

Moscow and clapped me. I liked it a lot.

In 1961 I was officially in Moscow. Nice and interesting city. High

modern communist buildings, flats, army,… beautiful. I studied

for 5 years. I met a lot of famous people, presidents and prime

ministers of communist countries.

Really good experience. They gave me a lot. I thought that when I

would be older, I would be like them. Moscow and Russia were

forever in my heart. When I came home to Czechoslovakia from

Russia, I applied to work for ministry of education. I wanted

children to have the same ideas I had. Later I became the

Minister of Education and I moved to Prague. People loved me. I

was on posters, walls and in the news. I got married to Svetlana

from Poland. She was a teacher, like my mother. We had two

children, Jožko and Melánia. They were very successful in the

school, like me. Everything was beautiful. But then came the year

1989. People started to hate our beautiful country Czechoslovakia

and our state. I did not know why. They started with democracy.

Beeeee… Now I am also a Minister of Education.