Soviet bunker

Now, who said there is nothing fun going on in the Lithuanian countryside? As it turns out, a small place called Naujasodes kaimas, just out side of  Nemenčinė, is home to one of the more eccentric tourist attractions in Lithuania. Or, since you are not merely invited to observe but also take part in all the retrospective fun that goes on there, it is perhaps more of an amusement park than an attraction.




Looks dull enough from the outside. I suspect the fun starts when you enter.

At first, it sound like the worst business idea ever. To acquire some old soviet bunker, hire a bunch of actors, and invite tourists for an evening of interrogations, various forced exercises and communist indoctrinations. All while being shouted at by angry men at and threatened by guard dogs. In an authentic soviet style atmosphere. Not everyone’s cup of tea, one should imagine, but the fact that these people are still open for business after several years just proves that there is a market even for this.




Is it safe? (ancient referance, but still seems appropriate)

If anyone is in doubt – this is in terrible taste! And if anyone did this with a Nazi theme, rather than a communist one, there would be an outrage. On the other hand, I am personally quite in favor of  challenging the borders of what qualifies as “the correct way” of communicating history. After all, there are plenty of well-recognized museums and memorials that already do this in a more than questionable way, so there should be plenty of room for some totalitarian reenactment facilities. The deciding factor is usually what kind of main message the place conveys. And since I have yet to visit this place, that remains to be seen.




Some people can probably find it quite awarding to run around wearing gas masks on their spare time.
Specialists should however have at least one remark to this picture.

I suspect there is one, but I also suspect that the end of the program is quite steep in remembrance of the “happy days of communism”. Because if all they do is to torture and harass their visitors they wouldn`t have that many happy customers. It would be about as appealing as trying to reenact WW1 by digging a trench in the garden, filling it half way with water, and adding rats, lice and random explosions (perhaps an idea for other aspiring businessmen?).

 

Nothing apparently embodies "happy soviet times" more that a shot of vodka

Then again, many people do remember those days as happy times, although few probably have encounters with KGB among their fondest memories. Making entertainment out of remembering various aspects of authoritarian rule can be a tricky exercise, although this is possible. Such sites as for instance Gruto Parkas are good examples, although such places rarely escape criticism.

 

"If you`re a happy communist and you know it, clap your hands"

The entire session take about 3 hours, and the organizers seem to stress that visitors should be “brave”. Whatever they mean by that. For those who are not feeling so brave, there is also a “stress free” alternative. This is perhaps not a bad idea, since it allegedly is quite common even among “brave” visitors to pass out during the “entertainment”. Does this sound like any museum you have visited lately? I hope they are still open for business next time I am in the area, and I can`t help feeling a bit “brave”.

 

Another happy day in the bunker is apparently coming to an end.
The jar of kompot is finished, and the militiaman is singing a final song.
Happy times

And who knows, maybe the Cubans can turn Guantanamo into a theme park sometime in the future and welcome the decedents of yesterday’s terrorists for some friendly reminiscing about the good old days?  If I am still around – count me inn!

 

(all pictures are screen dumps from www.sovietbunker.com)