Understanding Europe- A Cultural Mosaic By: Ms. Refkin

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe- Rest Stop A little known fact about Budapest….. This capital city of Hungary is actually two cities combined into one name. There is Buda (the Castle district) and Pest (Inner City) separated by the Danube river. In this picture, you can see one of the several bridges that connect the two sides of the city together.

Danube River

A Rooftop View of Budapest

Eastern Europe- Rest Stop In the years of war time in Europe, communism began to engulf the country of Poland. Communism is when the government has total control over the people…and the economy. Poles were forced to pledge loyalty to the communist government. They received government pensions, went to doctors paid by the government, and relied on money from the government when crops did not grow. Eventually, Poland broke free of its communist government, and to this day is working to improve the economy. Poland is now a capitalist country with a free- enterprise system. In it, people can run their own businesses. Now, Poles must save money for old age, and take out loans when crops fail. But not all of life in Poland has changed. In the countryside, there are signs of a way of life that existed long before communist rule.

The Polish Countryside

Old Market Square - Warsaw, Poland

Eastern Europe- Rest Stop In 1991 tensions in Yugoslavia came to a breaking point. The Serbians controlled the government of Yugoslavia, and many provinces did not want to live under Serbian rule. Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia- Herzegovina declared independence. Serbians did not want the provinces to break-away. In addition, many Serbians living in the other regions feared what would happen to them. These tensions led to war. The bitter fighting led to much destruction and devastation. People were torn from their homes and their possessions were destroyed. In the mid- 1990’s the fighting ethnic groups signed a peace treaty.

A Destroyed Home in Knin, Croatia

Bosnia - The “Old Bridge” Before and After the War

Eastern Europe- Rest Stop Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was once part of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union split, life in Kiev has changed drastically. Kiev is now alive with a new spirit of freedom. The main street, Kreshchatik, is often jammed with people. Parks, stores, and restaurants line the street. People sell ice cream and hot dogs covered with a thin red sauce. Newsstands are filled with papers, many of which have been published only since independence. At the local market, farmers sell produce from their own farms. This, too, only became possible after independence.

Kreshchatik Street in Kiev

Eastern Europe- Rest Stop Russia has a huge public school system. Illiteracy has been eliminated in Russia through public education. However, students in Russia have a lower ability to think for themselves. Higher level thinking is an unknown term in Russian education. Students are told what the answer is, but not given an explanation as to why. “How did you get that answer?” is not a question a Russian teacher would ever ask. You are simply right or wrong.