In Soviet Russia, Time Travels You

Ha! Those Lithuanians crack me up. At least they're not cracking my knuckles, eh? Seriously, I love Lithuanians.

Holy crap, that's incredible. My mother is Latvian and lived there when it was occupied by the Soviets. I kinda wanna go there (despite the fact its Lithuania..) to try and gain some perspective on what my mom grew up in.

I'd kinda want to go there to find out exactly what "typical Soviet food (with genuine Soviet tableware)" means.

Only it's less than 50$.

@Johnny Cat: I guess typical soviet food would include Borsch (beetroot soup), herring with potatoes, sour pickles and vodka.

National Lithuanian food is much more unusual, though very greasy.

heh. there is a similar thing in Latvia, Liepaja, but they have actual soviet-time prison, where you can stay for a night... but i cant imagine that somebody would enjoy that experience.
I spent there 4h trip. And it really messes with your head...

Looking forward to the Disney Guantanamo theme park.

As to "typical Soviet food" : Mig-25 pilot Victor Belenko defected to the West and was resettled in the USA. On his first grocery shopping trip, he thought the market was a fake store made by the CIA - Soviet markets had such VERY little selection. Later, recognizing the English wood "food" he accidentally bought canned cat food and served it with crackers. He enjoyed it, and thought it was much better than canned Soviet food. If those two points from an elite, more privileged, jet pilot are any indication, I'd skip the food portion of the tour.

Holy shit, I'm Lithuanian and I did not know there was a theme park like this.awesome.

Every time I see the style of gas mask they are wearing (if you follow the link), I think of a creepy kid saying "Are you my mommy?"

/obscure?

@Johnny Cat: Seriously, thank you for your love.

Not a bad idea at all. Helps everyone remember why America exists in the first place.

@ nsm: now THAT would be a neat post! i'd love to hear about the soviet prison theme park.

America is so awesome

Who goes to places like this?

Now if only they had a simulation for the free education, health care and pensions USSR offered, I might refrain from calling this 'arrogant russophobic propaganda'.
Way to reduce the life of a Soviet citizen to that of a GULAG detainee who thinks cat food is tasty, I'm sure such a black & white worldview makes even the most outward flaws of the system you abide by seem insignificant.
Maybe I should start my own theme park, where every brand of every shoe you buy in a store that is never in deficit comes packed with the severed hand of a sweatshop worker.

Uh oh, there's a politico crazy here.

Moo, I think free education and health care would be fantastic. They are in fact, great examples of the flaws with the current US system.

I think you are the one with a black and white world view however if all you see of Soviet Russia is rainbows and happy citizens singing and holding hands. Many, many people in soviet Russia were miserable and starving to death. Many, many people there were sent to gulags for no good reason whatsoever.

I'm sure if the US collapsed, there would quickly be a museum built showing all the horrors our country has taken part in, between internment camps, slavery, eugenics and more, we've had a very dark history.

Just because someone finds major flaws in the Soviet Union doesn't mean their a hillbilly who sits and waves their American flag all day.

Good sir, I've never tried to glorify the USSR -- inherent to my defense of its public systems is my apprehension of the atrocities it has committed. I try to live with a worldview in which every nation, country and ideology is responsible for good as well as for evil deeds.
It is the obvious bias and political agenda behind the constant demonization of the Soviet Union that leads me to do things as silly as argue over the internet.

Fair enough, it was merely the way you put it that made you sound like a fan of the USSR.
I understand your view point, but I still think this experience offers an important history lesson about the soviets, even if it is not telling the whole story at once.

Also, please recognize that not everyone who disagrees with you on the internet is a male.

"I understand your view point, but I still think this experience offers an important history lesson about the soviets, even if it is not telling the whole story at once."

Sure, like without Stalin we wouldn't have won the Second World War.

Relax,

This is a theme park showing one very real element of what the USSR (government) sanctioned and did.

Nobody is claiming that this is representative of all Soviets (general populace) at the time.

But, for the people who actually endured such violations, I think the creators of this theme park believe it is important to remember.

If there is no interest, the business element of it will fail.

From the historical significance aspect, it may be a interesting experience first hand versus just a conceptual idea. This will be especially true to people of Slavic decent who have heard from their elders and just would like to grasp fully through personal experience.

Moo,

Everyone else is entitled to live with their "world view" too. This includes the creators of this theme park.

So, it is best to approach such things with an open mind versus an assumption that the primary intent is to "demonize" the Soviet Union.

This attitude of "misplaced demonization" inappropriately makes the project about the abusers, rather than the abused. The project is undoubtedly about the experiences of the abused.

It is kind of strange to be defending the abusers on the basis of a theme park representing the experiences of the abused.

Why is the primary concern on the "demonizing" of a non-existent government for what it did?

Why not defend the still existent abused with the same degree of self-righteousness demonstrated on behalf of the abuser?

It is just a chance to go back in history and feel a part of it. I think it is a great idea!! I have lived in Russia and think they have a very interesting history. I think history is more alive and you feel more a part of it if you get to interact with it. I wish they had more things like this representing life in various countries and time frames. What a great way to learn. Lets not read so much into this new attraction other than a way to study the past.

i miss the ussr,at least they didn't strap bombs to themselves for allah.....the cold war was much better

well I should say that the Russian girls are the..........best, never mind their past Country's history

The masters of the "worker's paradise" were perhaps the greatest, and most savage murderers in human history. An attempt to recreate a fairly accurate portrait of the first steps of a prisoner's life is hardly demonizing. At any rate, how can one unfairly demonize the devil himself?

The pugnacious cries for free things betrays an inherent ignorance of reality: nothing toiled for by others is ever free. That leaves little other than the air.

I think this is really cool. I would love it if the U.S. had more things like this from our history. We have a few around, but not enough. Children can learn from stuff like this a whole lot better than from a book. Hands-on is definetely a better teacher. As far as free health care and education...I look at it this way. 1)Nothing in life is free. 2)You get what you pay for.

Heh I do agree with you there, bento :D

I wouldn't be so quick to pat the Lithuanians on the back. Many Lithuanian citizens aided the Nazis in rounding up and killing Jews.

Even today, anti-Semitism is an issue in the country, and anti-Nazi Jews are still being hounded and persecuted.

If I were Lithuanian, I wouldn't brag about it.

I would do that Commrads it look cool