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During the Second World War, the United States and Russia were allies, but immediately afterward, they were sworn enemies. With the US’s demonstration of its nuclear capabilities in Japan, both countries were determined to outdo the other for the next several decades in what would become known as the Cold War, named so due to the lack of direct combat despite the animosity. During this period, there was a “East” and “West” divide in the world. Many global events in places as far as southern Africa in some way tied back to Russia and the US’s attempts to strategically gain power and control. For years, there was a very real possibility of nuclear warfare which could have started at any moment, and nearly did with the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 60’s. The totality of the conflict and the lesson it teaches is represented in Moscow’s Bunker 42 museum. The bunker began construction in 1951 with potential nuclear war in mind. Not only is the site 18 stories underground, it is lined with a thick shell of steel and concrete to definitively keep out any potential radiation. The facility, nestled neatly next to and with convenient access to the underground metro, could house KGB staff and political officials for months without assistance due to its dormitory, air recycling system, medical and food storage, and water wells which could provide fresh water. Despite its metallic, rough, and purposeful appearance, many rooms are adorned with hardwood flooring, decorative lights, and a copious amount of Soviet slogans and propaganda. One such decorative conference room, right next to Stalin’s office, provided an area to discuss top secret affairs. Interestingly, this room was only used one during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the code word “Typhoon” signified the begin of World War III. Further along this block, there is a room which dealt with intelligence and nuclear defense capabilities. The museum now displays the first model of the Soviet government’s nuclear bomb, as well as several important craft models in history such as the vessel that took Yuri Gagarin to space. The highlight of the room is a demonstration of what the process of a nuclear launch would entail, had the Soviet Union actually activated one. Afterward, in order to give visitors a direct sense of the setting the bunker operated in, there is a room dedicated to the highest technology at the time. This allows for marveling and interaction with the machines and systems that ran the entire site, right before a final simulation of a lockdown in a dark corridor, attempting to emulate the disturbing feeling of impending nuclear war as best as it can.I believe Bunker 42 did a great job of encapsulating the entire conflict and its effect on a wide variety of subjects. From the descent down into the dark and isolated museum, it felt very engaging and a bit intimidating, and that’s without the paranoia of nuclear war today. Every machine and old desk provided key immersion into what life was really like working in the bunker. However, our guide made sure to talk beyond what life was like for the staff in the bunker, but also the everyday Russian and the similar fear they and Americans felt during these long four and a half decades. Being in the same rooms that such important and very recent history was made in was both eerie and interesting. Thankfully, these rooms never had to serve their original intended purpose. Now, every part of the bunker and the specific subject that it deals with only serves as a didactic reminder to never repeat the history that nearly ended the human race.

References:

Cold War Museum Tour

Russian History Lectures

Political History Museum Tour

Russia is often religiously associated with the state-mandated Atheism of Soviet times and its historical alignment to Eastern Orthodox Christianity along with countries such as Serbia and Greece. However, with the countless ethnic groups in the country, there also is a plurality of belief systems as well. Islam has become synonymous with the Middle East, so it may come as a surprise that it is the third largest religion in the country. In fact, Islam has been an integral part of Russia’s cultural and spiritual history. When Vladimir the First was studying the belief systems of the region’s neighbors, he strongly favored Islam and almost selected it as the religion that would replace Paganism before he was informed that it would ban alcohol consumption. Still to this day, many identify as muslims in Russia, with around 7% of the population practicing the faith. This is predominantly among the ethnically Turkic and Caucasian peoples of the southern border such as the Chechens and Tartars.

Islam’s presence has served as a binding force for many, both inside and outside Russia. For example, in the case of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, several racially diverse people were in attendance. Many Muslim countries such as Turkey and the Palestinian territory offered donations for the completion of its 2015 rebuilding as well. This came in the form of religious authorities such as sheikhs and muftis to sanctify the mosque, in addition to physical contributions such as artwork and decorations. The inside is adorned with turquoise rugs, white tile, intricate glass chandeliers, gold trimming, spacious areas for prayer, among many other things. What the mosque lacks are idols, statues, and frescos like one would see in an Orthodox cathedral. Instead, there is only beautiful calligraphy depicting important passages from the Quran and the word for God in Arabic, or “Allah”. This culminates with a swirl of Arabic cursive on the ceiling leading to the center where the word “Allah” is again displayed, clearly illustrating worship as being paramount. Similarly, the position of the Qiblah, or direction of prayer, of the mosque faces toward the city of Mecca. This is the way that all Muslims pray in order to honor Mecca’s role as a holy site in the faith, uniting the globally diverse Muslims as one in their prayer no matter where they are on the globe.

As someone who is not religious in the slightest, I do not hold religious preference. That being said, I strongly preferred the comparable Christian counterparts such as Saint Isaac’s Cathedral to the mosque. The larger and open walkways, arches, and artistic depictions of Christian stories left me in absolute awe. I also felt a stronger connection with the essence of Russian culture and history, due to the larger role that Christianity has played in the country and the tie it has with the Russian value of suffering and collectivism. At Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, I was able to see the shiny domes that had to be painted over during World War II to prevent the site from being used as a reference for artillery shelling, and exactly where in the landscaping the people of St. Petersburg had to grow cabbages in order to survive during the Nazi assault of the city. The cultural practice within the mosque was also very different to what I am personally used to. It was mandatory for some members of our group to cover their hair because of the immutable characteristic of their gender for mere entry, which, despite the similar orthodox practice, was not required for entry in the cathedral. No matter the religious justification why, and no matter the willingness of the participants to do it, I found the practice antiquated and arbitrary as one would with the practices of FGM and Chinese foot binding.

References:

Tour of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque

Russian History Lectures

http://islam.ru/en/content/story/islam-russia

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