Tag Archives: world war 2

Jul30

Monument in honor of the soldiers of the Soviet Army – Denkmal zu Ehren der Soldaten der Sowjetarmee

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Tuesday, 02-July-2024


I didn’t expect to find a monument to the Soviets in Vienna.

I didn’t expect to find a monument to the Soviets… at all, really. I mean, after so many countries that had previously been part of the USSR, and after learning about so many atrocities that were committed by the Soviets, the thought of a monument to them was a bit unthinkable.

Yet here I was, standing in front of a rather beautiful one, in the heart of Vienna.


Reading into it online, I couldn’t find much about why it’s still been maintained into the current era… but that it was originally built back when Vienna was separated into districts run by the different Allied powers after World War 2. Have I mentioned that, yet? Similarly to how Berlin was hacked in half during the Cold War, so too was Vienna… except that it was carved into four quadrants; USA, USSR, UK, and France. This monument was built in the Soviet block, but within easy viewing distance to the other three.

Regardless, it is a beautiful monument. And, I’m happy to add, has been added to recently… the large wall behind the monument, separating it from the Belvedere Gardens, has been repainted into the Ukrainian flag – a fitting way to add new context, in my mind.



Wikipedia link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_War_Memorial_(Vienna)

Jun8

A quick stop at Hvalfjordur

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Friday, 17-May-2024


I’ve mentioned previously, but I love it so much that I have to reiterate: The fun part of my roadtrip in Iceland was being able to stop at all the neat little things that I was while adventuring.

Hvalfjordur is a good example – It’s nothing much, sort of like the Saga of Kjartans in that it was just a placard on the side of the road. This time, with a strangely long dock stretching into the fjord nearby… but otherwise, just a simple lonely little sign.

I saw it in passing, pulled off the road at the next turn-out, and backtracked. Stepped out, took a moment to appreciate the cold and the wind, and just enjoyed the unrushed freedom that I had before checking out the sign, snapping a few pictures, and then getting back onto my trusty steed and charging off once again.

You can read the placard in the photos, but the long story short is that Hvalfjordur was an allied naval base during WWII – Iceland was actually neutral in the war, but was invaded by the British and United States for use as a base to support shipping in the North Atlantic, as well as a stop-over for aircraft flying from the US to the European theater. Hvalfjordur was one of the naval bases, a spot where everything from small tankers to the giant battleships could moor and refuel.

It’s neat to hear these tidbits of history, and I’m so thankful for the freedom to just stop and enjoy the world around me. Whether that’s a placard, a random fish spine that I found on the beach… or a dock and rainshower off shore.