Reposting: Eastern Europe 1990: An Encounter with Evil

The entrance to the Auschwitz death camp. The sign says

"Arbeit Macht Frei" which means "Work Makes Free."

Blog Note: My purpose in reposting this series of blogs about our travels in Eastern Europe in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, is to show the joy of the Eastern European peoples as they emerged from the Marxist system into freedom. My hope is that at least a few Americans will be warned as our present government seeks to lead us into that darkness. 

 
We passed quickly through customs and security in Warsaw with no questions asked. The taxi to the Noveltel cost 80,000 zlotys, which fortunately turned out to be $8 U.S. The Noveltel was new and nice, and (at last!) a double bed.

Friday, March 23: We arose to find that the water was off all over Warsaw. So no shave and no bath. We cleaned up as best we could with our portable pack of Wet Ones. At the airport, the security people didn't want to let me through with my little two-wheeled cart loaded with equipment bags. They couldn't understand that I was hauling the carry-ons for three people. Louise and Paul had already gone through, but I was able to get them to come back and take some of the items. And we were off to Katowici.

I have often wondered what it was like when the water came back on and all the toilets in Warsaw flushed at the same time. I'm glad we were gone.

We were met in Katowici by Ferdinand Karel, founder and pastor of the Bethany Church of God, and two of his associates. After checking into the University Hotel we made a brief stop at the church for the first good coffee since. . .I can't remember. West Berlin, maybe? And it wasn't just good -- it was great coffee. As it turned out, we needed something to fortify us.

The church at Katowici is hidden away behind gates and

other buildings in a courtyard in an industrial section of town.

After the coffee, we drove about 25 miles to Auschwitz.

I would not have missed it, but I'm not sure I would go again. It is a monument to all the evil in the depths of our fallen human nature. How anyone could see what one of the most civilized nations on earth did to fellow human beings in an organized and systematic fashion and still believe in the perfectibility of man apart from God is beyond all sense and reason. 

Barracks blocks at Auschwitz. The electric fence wires

carried sufficient voltage to kill anyone who touched them.

Prisoners were crowded into these bunks with

only lice-ridden straw for a mattress.

The crematorium, where bodies were

burned by the hundreds of thousands.

Other photographers have done a far better job than I of showing the horror of Auschwitz, but I've included a few photos to give you a sense of the place.

After Auschwitz, we went back to the church, where we were encouraged by the simple goodness of Polish believers. We were fed a good Polish dinner by the pastor's wife Lydia, an absolute, but gracious, tyrant of the kitchen.

 

Ferdinand and Lydia Karel

Later, we photographed a home Bible study group in a suburban high-rise. They served cake and tea afterwards, so we took some to be polite. Then it was back to the church, where Lydia had another meal prepared.

This brings up a subject I haven't mentioned before: I call it "the Hospitality Trap." Everywhere we went, we found gracious, hospitable people who wanted to share with us the best of their food. We couldn't eat it all, but neither did we want to disappoint them. It's difficult. Fortunately, as is normal in the kind of traveling we were doing, we missed enough meals that we didn't come home 20 pounds heavier.

Photographs made with Olympus OM and Leica M cameras and lenses, Fujichrome 100D and 400D films.  Photographs and text copyright 2021, David B.Jenkins

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.

Soli Gloria Deo

For the glory of God alone

Tags: photography, Dave Jenkins, David B. Jenkins Eastern Europe, Pentecostalism, Poland, Warsaw, Katowici, Church of God, Auschwitz, Olympus OM cameras, Leica cameras, Fujichrome film, 3M640T film, film cameras

Reposting: Eastern Europe 1990: A Meeting in Moscow

The fervent worship of Russian believers

is the expression of a faith that has been tried

in the fire of oppression and persecution.

Blog Note: My purpose in reposting this series of blogs about our travels in Eastern Europe in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, is to show the joy of the Eastern European peoples as they emerged from the Marxist system into freedom. My hope is that at least a few Americans will be warned as our present government seeks to lead us into that darkness. 

After my return from the Arpatskaya we were met by Mrs. Ingrid Zaprometer, a lovely lady of about 70 who was a member of the secret group of Pentecostal Christians in Moscow. She took us by taxi to a high-rise apartment building somewhere out on the fringe of Moscow, where the elevator let us out at the 11th floor. Turning a corner or two and passing a young man working on a full-size Yamaha motorcycle in the narrow hall, we entered an apartment consisting of an entry hall, bathroom, small kitchen, and one room about 12 by 20 feet that was packed with about 70 people.  

Some explanation is in order here, because this is now ancient history and some of my readers may never have heard of the Russian Underground Church.

During the 70 years the Communists ruled Russia, they conducted all-out war against religion, and most especially Christianity. The Russian Orthodox Church was the only church recognized by the government, and it was thoroughly infiltrated by the KGB, with even many of the priests being on the KGB payroll. There was at the time we were there only one Roman Catholic church and one Jewish synagogue in all of Moscow. All evangelical groups were illegal, with their members subject to discrimination and persecution. Many evangelical pastors and even lay believers were sent to prison camps in Siberia.

The Russian pastor speaks to a crowd of

about 70 people in a 12x20-foot room.

Our attendance at this meeting was probably only possible because of the "Glastnost" policies of loosened restrictions instituted by Prime Minister Gorbachov. Even so, the singing and preaching were in hushed voices to avoid attracting attention or alienating the neighbors.

The service was long and the room was hot, but it was an unique experience and great privilege to photograph something few Americans had ever seen: the worship of the Underground Church.

 
Afterwards, there was quite a long time of fellowship. I drank three cups of tea and most of a plate of wafer cookies before we finally caught a bus and then a subway, arriving back at our hotel around midnight.

The next day, Thursday, March 22, was chilly with a heavy overcast all day -- more like I had expected Moscow to be, actually. Louise went shopping with Olga Zaprometer, Ingrid's daughter. I went over to photograph the U.S. Embassy and some other scenes, then back to the hotel to check out. We then went to the Zaprometer's apartment with our luggage, where we were served an elegant high tea.

Dr. Zaprometer, 71, is a noted biochemist and teacher. He is also a believer, but in secret, for fear of losing his position at the university. The Zaprometers are people of high culture. Their apartment, for which they waited 15 years, is small by American standards, but beautifully decorated, with bookshelves containing an eclectic library of books in many languages as well as many art and music books lining the walls.

The only Jewish synagogue in all of Moscow.

There is also only one Roman Catholic church.

After the tea, Louise and I caught a taxi and went out to find and photograph the Roman Catholic church and the Jewish synagogue. Dr. Zaprometer had written the addresses for our driver, but it still took a good bit of looking to find them, even after we got to the proper section of the city.

Olga Zaprometer picks out a tune on the spinet.

In the background are Dr. Zaprometer with his

back to the camera, Ingrid Zaprometer,

the pastor and his wife, and Louise.

We got back to the Zaprometer's about 5 p.m. They were amazed at our ability to catch taxis quickly. (The secret, of course, is to look like hard-currency American capitalists.)

After a very enjoyable supper with the Zaprometers, Paul Lauster, and the Russian pastor and his wife, I again exercised my taxi-catching ability, loaded in my ace travel companion (also known as my wife Louise), said goodbye to our friends, and headed off to the airport. Customs, security, and boarding were all uneventful and we were soon off to Poland on LOT, the Polish airline.

Photographs made with Olympus OM and Leica M cameras and lenses, Fujichrome 100D and 400D films, except for the worship pictures. Blame the funky colors and large grain of those photos on 3M 640T film pushed one stop to ISO 1280 to make pictures under the low ambient light in the apartment. Today's digital cameras can do this easily, but that was then and we used what we had.  

Photographs and text copyright 2021, David B.Jenkins

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.

Soli Gloria Deo

For the glory of God alone

Tags: photography, Dave Jenkins, David B. Jenkins Eastern Europe, Communism, Moscow, Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet Russia, the Arpatskaya, KGB, worship, Pentecostalism, Russian Underground Church, Roman Catholic Church, Jewish Synagogue, Poland, LOT Polish Airline, Olympus OM cameras, Leica cameras, Fujichrome film, 3M640T film, film cameras

Reposting: Eastern Europe 1990: A March Day in Moscow

The golden domes of the Cathedral of the Annunciation.
Completed in 1489,it is one of six churches inside the Kremlin walls.

Blog Note: My purpose in reposting this series of blogs about our travels in Eastern Europe in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, is to show the joy of the Eastern European peoples as they emerged from the Marxist system into freedom. My hope is that at least a few Americans will be warned as our present government seeks to lead us into that darkness.

March 21, 1990 began with an overcast sky. After breakfast we went to the GUM, which turned out to be closed, so we signed up for the Kremlin tour, which included a walk around the grounds and into two of the six ancient Russian Orthodox cathedrals inside the formidable walls of the fort which is the seat of the Russian government.

That government, by the way, was officially atheist; nevertheless, the churches and cathedrals are magnificently preserved as museums of Russian art and history. As part of our tour we were able to enter the Cathedral of the Assumption, completed in 1479, and the Cathedral of Michael the Archangel, completed in 1508. Both were filled with priceless works of religious art. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to photograph inside the churches.

GUM. the state-operated department store,

is across Red Square from the Kremlin.

After the tour we went across Red Square to the GUM, where a line of people wound around the building. Louise had been hoping to buy a Russian fur hat, so she got in line while I photographed my way back to the hotel. Unfortunately, she got there before I did -- she had been kicked out of the line at the door because she did not have the proper pass.

She never did get that hat.

By this time, it was 2:30 and the sky had cleared a bit. Louise decided to take a nap, so I took off on foot for the Arpatskaya, which I walked both ways looking for faces and interactions. The street was thronged with people enjoying the uncharacteristically fine March afternoon.
 

People enjoying a warm Mid-March

afternoon in the Arpatskaya.

As always, many young Russians found the
Arpatskaya a great place to hang out.

This Seventh-Day Adventist lady had posted the

Ten Commandments and was speaking to a small crowd.

When I came back a little later, two members of the

militia were politely closing her down. Maybe not as

much freedom of speech in the Arpat as Paul thought.

These two young women, obviously friends, were

together in the Arpat. One looked as if she had just arrived

on the latest flight from Paris; the other, with a perfect

Slavic face, was dressed in the latest Soviet Worker chic.
Go figure.

 

The young woman on the left was watching a street

artist create a pencil portrait of the woman seated

on the right. When she saw me, she smiled and signed

that I should pay her for making her picture!

Photographs made with Olympus OM cameras and lenses. I used the Tamron 100-300mm f4 zoom lens on an Olympus OM2s camera for the portraits. Fujichrome 100D and 400D films. Photographs and text copyright 2021, David B.Jenkins

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.

Soli Gloria Deo

For the glory of God alone

Tags: photography, Dave Jenkins, David B. Jenkins Eastern Europe, Communism, Moscow, the Kremlin, Red Square, Russian Orthodox Church, The Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of Michael the Archangel, Soviet Russia, the Arpatskaya, GUM, Olympus OM2s camera, Tamron lenses, Fujichrome film, film cameras

 

Reposting: Eastern Europe 1990: Moving on to Moscow

Welcome to Moscow!

Blog Note 1: My purpose in reposting this series of blogs about our travels in Eastern Europe in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union is to show the joy of the Eastern European peoples as they emerged from the Marxist system into freedom. My hope is that at least a few Americans will be warned as our present government seeks to lead us into that darkness.

Blog Note 2:  Sorry this post is late. The wretched wifi system in this otherwise lovely campground is unusable much of the time. We are working on alternatives.

The customs line at the Moscow airport was long and slow, as the inspectors were going through a succession of very large suitcases piece by piece. We however, were waved on through with hardly a glance, even though we were carrying bags of photo and video equipment. Our taxi was a Volga, which somewhat resembled a '62 Chevy Nova, and we were shortly deposited at the Intourist Hotel, only three blocks from Red Square. We learned that all foreigners were parked at the Intourist so they could more easily keep an eye on us.

Three Russian soldiers, going off duty, probably

from guarding Lenin's Tomb, head across

Red Square toward the GUM department Store.

The temperature was in the mid-fifties, very warm for March in Moscow, and there was still some daylight, so we went over to Red Square and through the GUM department store. Back at the hotel we ate an unidentifiable substance purported to be beef and went to bed.

The next morning I was out early to photograph. We met Paul Lauster at 9 a.m. for a breakfast which was at least identifiable as boiled eggs. The breakfast is included in the price of the room. Instant coffee (all that's available) is an extra 25 kopecks. Paul's lost jar of Instant Nescafe was sadly missed.

A hundred kopecks make a ruble, and the average worker's salary is 200-300 rubles a month. Rubles are six to a dollar at the official rate, but 13 to a dollar on the black market. Any taxi driver can supply black market rubles for dollars, but it's risky. You never know who might be an informer.

Standing in line for the basic necessities was

a normal way of life in Soviet Russia,

as in all the Iron Curtain countries.

In the afternoon, Louise and I went out and photographed around Red Square. Later, Paul joined us and we took a cab to the new McDonald's. The line was two blocks long, with people two and three abreast. We didn't stay. Instead, we got hot beef sausage sandwiches and Pepsis at a little booth near the hotel. Best food we'd had so far!

The new Moscow McDonald's. The line

was more than two blocks long.

In the late afternoon we went to a place Paul had told us about, a street called the Arpatskaya (Arpat Street), which has been converted to a pedestrian mall about three-quarters of a mile long and lined with artists selling their work and little booths selling ice cream and other goodies. There were also many Russian young people hanging out. We had some ice cream and it was good.

An artist displays his paintings for sale in the Arpatskaya.

Russian young people hanging out. The Arpatskaya

was a very popular gathering place for them.

I'm proud to say that photographers appear to be in the vanguard of free enterprise in Russia. They were everywhere, making and selling photographs of people at various attractions. Red Square, with the Kremlin and Lenin's Tomb, is apparently quite the tourist mecca for Russians, and photographers were busy making photographs of tour groups in front of the tomb with the Kremlin in the background.

Photographers were busy photographing

tour groups in Red Square.

It was nearly dark by the time we worked our way to the end of the Arpatskaya. Louise decided to do a bit of shopping, and I went to Red Square to make some night photos of the Kremlin and St. Peter's Basilica. It had been a long day, and when I came back to the hotel Louise was already asleep. She is a great travel companion and a real trouper, always ready for the next challenge.

Red Square and the Kremlin at night.

Photographs made with Olympus OM and Leica M cameras and lenses plus a Tamron 100-300mm f4 zoom lens, Fujichrome 100D and 400D films. Photographs and text copyright 2021, David B.Jenkins

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.

Soli Gloria Deo

For the glory of God alone

Tags: photography, Dave Jenkins, David B. Jenkins Eastern Europe, Russia, Moscow, the Kremlin, Red Square, St. Peter's Basilica, Soviet Russia, McDonald's, the Arpatskaya, GUM, Olympus OM cameras, Leica M cameras, Tamron lenses, Fujichrome film, film cameras