Comments by "gary K" (@garyK.45ACP) on "The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered"
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Thank you for this video.
Having lived and worked in the former Soviet Union and having a wife born and raised in the USSR who's father was awarded two "Order of the Red Star" medals (his papers and medals hang in our home along with my father's decorations from WW2) My take on this story has always been that it is more of a compilation of stories.
I do not think it was ever intended to be or taken as a "lie" or be a "fraud"...or undiluted fact. Yes, it is a legend. Is it exactly true that those 28 men did all of those heroic deeds in that place at that time? Maybe yes. Maybe not.
Is it true that millions of men and women did all of those things thousands of times in thousands of places over a period of 4 years? Absolutely YES.
I have visited many of the war memorials in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and they are all striking. They all glorify the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as it known there. There isn't a 4 year old in the former Soviet Union today who does not know Georgi Zhukov, a T-34 tank, a PPSh submachinegun, a Mosin Nagant rifle an or IL-2 or I-16 aircraft. They are depicted or displayed in so many statues, memorials. They are at airports, train stations, subway stops, in the art and just parked on street corners or in front of government buildings.
There is nothing wrong with a legend to honor the millions of people who died. Not just "Russians" and not just soldiers, either. My wife was raised in Kharkov (Kharkiv, Ukrainian spelling) where 274,000 people died in the war. More than ALL the Americans killed in WW2 in Europe. In one city. And Kharkiv doesn't compare to the losses in Kiev or St. Petersburg (Leningrad)
My father had the opportunity to meet Russian soldiers near Dessau, Germany in 1945. I wish he had had the opportunity to meet my father in law.
Decades later, when we were sitting around the campfire on a hunting trip my father told me..."You know, I always knew MY family was safe. Your mother, your brother and sister were safe. Those Russian guys never had that security"
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Thanks for the video!
Great museum! I highly recommend it, along with the British Naval Museum at Portsmouth. My only bad experience at the Imperial War Museum came when I had a London Cockney tour guide for the World War 1 trenches exhibit and, seriously, needed subtitles in English to understand what she said...in English.
During my career I had the great opportunity to work for many years in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. There are many great museums there.
I recommend the History Museum and Memorial of Glory in Kharkov, Ukraine. The Museums of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow and St. Petersburg, particularly St. Petersburg, (go in summer, NOT winter!). Babi Yar ravine in Kiev (Kyiv) is unforgettable.
And, dare I forget, the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic. Many of these museums cover more topics than just war, but all are fascinating.
Many of these cities, just the individual cities, had more casualties of the war the the entire European theater losses for the USA. The Memorial of Glory in Kharkov honors the 274,000 residents of that city that were killed in World War 2. Throughout the cities and parks of these countries you will see many memorials and statues...statues to lost children and mothers, for example. It is a sobering thing to see.
While overseas, I met and married my Ukrainian wife and we still visit Ukraine and Europe every year and I always seek out the great museums.
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My wife is from Ukraine, where the calendar was changed in 1918 by the Soviets, but the Orthodox Church refused to change. The Church still uses the Julian calendar, currently 13 days behind our current calendar (and it will add another day behind in a few years) Hence, Christmas is on January 7 by our calendar. December 25 is just another day in the Former Soviet Union where the Orthodox Church is most common. The few people who celebrate "Catholic Christmas" celebrate on December 25, but it is not an official "holiday". Orthodox Easter this year is one week behind "ours". Some years it is the same as ours (last year) Countries which are primarily Orthodox (Greece, Serbia, Former Soviet Union, etc.) still use the Julian Calendar, at least for Religious Holidays.
As I understand, there were two reasons for this. 1. The Church would not accept "the government" deciding when Christmas and Easter were and 2. The Gregorian Calendar was developed by the Catholic Pope, so...NO!!!!!!!!!!
We spend a couple months a year in Ukraine and if it is during the holidays it can be very confusing! Most people settle it by having parties and skipping work from December 24 (Gregorian Calendar) until January 13 (Gregorian calendar) and that covers them all. January 13 is a Holiday celebrated as "The Old New Year". If you can imagine the week between Christmas and New Year's in the USA, that is what it is like for an extra 2 weeks.
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