Peace out, comrades

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022)

Reminds me of Stalinist Russia & Mao’s Cultural Revolution & Great Leap Forward in China.

Those Who Bake Are an Enemy of the State!

Authorities in Venezuela, homeland of the late Hugo Chavez, have been rounding up bakers, as in those who make tasty goodies in ovens, for making too much food and not following whatever stupid rules the bureaucrats have dictated.

ajh

I did not know that the line “Trust, but verify” made famous by Ronald Reagan is a Russian proverb. ☭

Doveryai, No Proveryai
Доверяй, но проверяй

I’ve known of this quote by President Reagan for a long time. But I didn’t realize it’s significance as a Russian saying until now.

ajh

Stalin’s Gratitude

A seller on eBay from Tallinn, capital of Estonia, has a proclamation from Stalin thanking a soldier for ‘liberating’ the towns of Bütow (Bytów) and Berent (Kościerzyna) in Pomerania during the last days of World War II. Stalin’s portrait graces the top center and is flanked by flags. The bottom portrays a Kremlin tower, possibly with celebratory fireworks.

It’s known as decree No. 296, issued on the 8th of March 1945. Issued by Commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front on behalf of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the USSR Joseph Stalin, Senior Sergeant Vladimir Starodubsky was cited for excellence in battle. The document has the stamp of the unit and hand signature of the commander.

AJH

I am looking for an image of it. The one I posted originally via a link has disappeared.