04-05-2004, 05:22 PM
Hey Eddie
Offense or insult? You're kidding, right? I never even gave any thought to the possibility. In fact, I was hoping that you wouldn't be offended if I chipped in my two cents worth.
I love history and I take every opportunity to learn more and listen to those more knowledgeable than I. I value this forum for many reasons, not the least of which is simply learning. Just learning. History is just that, and the challenge for us is to separate the wheat from the chaff, made even more difficult if you are interested in Soviet history. How else to do that but by sharing, as you so generously have?
I am currently in Tbilisi, Georgia, as I have been for almost all of the past 2.5 years and I will be here until July 31. One of the best things, of the many great things, about my visit has been the opportunity to meet people who are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the USSR, even though their knowledge may be a little suspect here and there, at least from a western perspective.
My senior counterpart here is from a persecuted and notorious family. His grandfather (a senior White Army officer) and his uncle (a dissident) were both shot for having anti-Soviet attitudes (yeah, no kidding) and his father was expelled from the university and Komsomol for being a relative of a liquidated person. Real, unvarnished and ugly history.
One of my other friends, after serving his obligatory service in the Red Army, was repeatedly arrested for expressing anti-Soviet opinions. He was quite the dissident. After several beatings failed to quiet him, he got a show trial and was sentenced to 15 years in the gulags. He only served 6-7 months until the Glasnost signings, which called for, among other things, the release of many Soviet political prisoners. He was one of them. To this day he thinks that Ronald Reagan walks on water. His reality, our history.
I have bought a LOT of Soviet and more than a few Tsarist items while I have been here, from the most ordinary to some very extraordinary things and many plain old oddball things. Among them have been quite a number of Chekist items, many of them quite early and some are surely unique.
When you wrote "I was going to carry on with the forming of the GPU, later the OGPU the NKVD and on to the KGB. Would this also be of interest?" My only response is, "How soon can you start?" I am very much looking forward to reading what you will write. I have some very early GPU and OGPU items, mostly from the Batumi (Black Sea) area. I will share pictures of some of them once I get back home and re-retire.
I have gotten to know one KGB general fairly well and another one slightly. They are both well-educated, clever, sociable and as nice a guys as you could ever want to meet. One, for sure, has a very dark past. I'm not sure about the other. I am also pretty close friends with a Kurd retired MVD colonel. What stories he tells! These are the kinds of guys you just don't meet back home in Oregon. At least, not where I hang out.
Would it interest you to know that, in this male-dominated society, when we are out together and one of the wives calls, it is common for the guy to hold his hand over the phone mouthpiece and stage-whisper "Cheka!"
In these days of "arguably" and "may have been", I have come to value very highly people with real opinions . It is not that your opinion should agree with mine, for me it is a matter that you should have an opinion at all. Those are the kinds of people that interest me and are, to me, worth knowing. People like you.
I hope you will keep up your good work and keep on teaching students like me. Thank you for the effort.
Chuck In Oregon
Currently, Chuck In Tbilisi, Georgia
Offense or insult? You're kidding, right? I never even gave any thought to the possibility. In fact, I was hoping that you wouldn't be offended if I chipped in my two cents worth.
I love history and I take every opportunity to learn more and listen to those more knowledgeable than I. I value this forum for many reasons, not the least of which is simply learning. Just learning. History is just that, and the challenge for us is to separate the wheat from the chaff, made even more difficult if you are interested in Soviet history. How else to do that but by sharing, as you so generously have?
I am currently in Tbilisi, Georgia, as I have been for almost all of the past 2.5 years and I will be here until July 31. One of the best things, of the many great things, about my visit has been the opportunity to meet people who are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the USSR, even though their knowledge may be a little suspect here and there, at least from a western perspective.
My senior counterpart here is from a persecuted and notorious family. His grandfather (a senior White Army officer) and his uncle (a dissident) were both shot for having anti-Soviet attitudes (yeah, no kidding) and his father was expelled from the university and Komsomol for being a relative of a liquidated person. Real, unvarnished and ugly history.
One of my other friends, after serving his obligatory service in the Red Army, was repeatedly arrested for expressing anti-Soviet opinions. He was quite the dissident. After several beatings failed to quiet him, he got a show trial and was sentenced to 15 years in the gulags. He only served 6-7 months until the Glasnost signings, which called for, among other things, the release of many Soviet political prisoners. He was one of them. To this day he thinks that Ronald Reagan walks on water. His reality, our history.
I have bought a LOT of Soviet and more than a few Tsarist items while I have been here, from the most ordinary to some very extraordinary things and many plain old oddball things. Among them have been quite a number of Chekist items, many of them quite early and some are surely unique.
When you wrote "I was going to carry on with the forming of the GPU, later the OGPU the NKVD and on to the KGB. Would this also be of interest?" My only response is, "How soon can you start?" I am very much looking forward to reading what you will write. I have some very early GPU and OGPU items, mostly from the Batumi (Black Sea) area. I will share pictures of some of them once I get back home and re-retire.
I have gotten to know one KGB general fairly well and another one slightly. They are both well-educated, clever, sociable and as nice a guys as you could ever want to meet. One, for sure, has a very dark past. I'm not sure about the other. I am also pretty close friends with a Kurd retired MVD colonel. What stories he tells! These are the kinds of guys you just don't meet back home in Oregon. At least, not where I hang out.
Would it interest you to know that, in this male-dominated society, when we are out together and one of the wives calls, it is common for the guy to hold his hand over the phone mouthpiece and stage-whisper "Cheka!"
In these days of "arguably" and "may have been", I have come to value very highly people with real opinions . It is not that your opinion should agree with mine, for me it is a matter that you should have an opinion at all. Those are the kinds of people that interest me and are, to me, worth knowing. People like you.
I hope you will keep up your good work and keep on teaching students like me. Thank you for the effort.
Chuck In Oregon
Currently, Chuck In Tbilisi, Georgia
