Growing up in a Communist country after the Second World War was like existing in a twilight zone. The newly imposed Soviet style socialistic ideology created a dual reality. The heavily promoted government propaganda, clashing with everyday reality, blatantly exposed the deceit. Empty store shelves spoke louder than promises of a glorious future. As children, we listened to adults’ stories about life before the war, when the country was free and stores were full of goods.
At school, the official party line was enforced to the chagrin of some teachers and the approval of others. Our social studies teacher, an ex-aristocrat, always pointed out the falsification of recent history in our textbooks, setting the facts straight. It was a bold activity because she risked the lost of her job and possible imprisonment. On the other hand, the Russian language teacher, a consummate Communist, never missed an opportunity to praise the Soviets for creating heaven on earth, and most important, saving us from the evils of capitalism. We soon developed an immune system against evident indoctrination, accepting life with a great dose of skepticism and cynicism. Nobody believed that Communism would fall during our lifetime, so it seemed that the only workable solution was to enjoy the benefits offered by the System, ignoring the rest.
Łódź, There Is No Prostitution in Socialism acutely depicts the macro cosmos of the Communistic twilight zone, exposing the good, bad, and ugly through the eyes of a young student. If today some of the accounts seem taken out from the theatre of the absurd, they were very real for anyone who experienced them first hand.
At school, the official party line was enforced to the chagrin of some teachers and the approval of others. Our social studies teacher, an ex-aristocrat, always pointed out the falsification of recent history in our textbooks, setting the facts straight. It was a bold activity because she risked the lost of her job and possible imprisonment. On the other hand, the Russian language teacher, a consummate Communist, never missed an opportunity to praise the Soviets for creating heaven on earth, and most important, saving us from the evils of capitalism. We soon developed an immune system against evident indoctrination, accepting life with a great dose of skepticism and cynicism. Nobody believed that Communism would fall during our lifetime, so it seemed that the only workable solution was to enjoy the benefits offered by the System, ignoring the rest.
Łódź, There Is No Prostitution in Socialism acutely depicts the macro cosmos of the Communistic twilight zone, exposing the good, bad, and ugly through the eyes of a young student. If today some of the accounts seem taken out from the theatre of the absurd, they were very real for anyone who experienced them first hand.
