Summer In Russia

Before coming to Moscow I really had no idea what to expect. The only image of Moscow I had was of Saint Basils Cathedral in Red Square. Another image I had before arriving in Moscow was of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet Union, and all of the Russians on the streets tearing down statues of Stalin and that infamous symbol of the Soviet Union and Communism, the sickle and hammer. With these images in mind I was totally surprised when I walked into my first metro station and found statues of workers and peasants followed by numerous images of the sickle and the hammer. I shortly after discovered that these images are not just in the metro stations but are everywhere, from the tops of buildings to the simple fencing around a park. Though after staying in Russia a little while and getting a better understanding of Russian culture both politically and socially I am not surprised at all to see so much of this soviet imagery. The Russians during the Bolshevik revolution kept the hated tsarist symbols of power around. The Russians are not ashamed of their past, they embrace it. This is clear to this day.