Reflections on Druskininkai

Lithuania: August 21 - August 22, 2006

We arrived late in Lithuania and just had time for dinner before we had a presentation by Trygve Olson. He is a UWEC graduate who is now living in Lithuania, married to a Lithuanian diplomat, and works for a non-profit organization that works to gain democracy for the people of Belarus, a country that is increasingly being ruled by a dictatorship. He was very interesting and showed what incredible lives people can have and how much of a difference one person can make.
The next day, we visited a Soviet propaganda museum which was really fascinating. Seeing huge busts of Stalin and Lenin, Soviet art, Soviet monuments, hearing about typical stories of what it was like to live under Soviet rule. For instance, the story of the man who was the first to sit down after 10 minutes of clapping at a Soviet propaganda meeting. They made sure he was never the first one to sit down again. We learned about how important children were to the empire; education was a top priority. And we also heard some Soviet music. I can see how that was a strong point for the Soviets and was useful in pumping up crowds; its very happy and up-beat with an attractive rhythm. It was a very enlightening museum.