Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey

Shades of Red, Shades of Grey The Role of Cultural Context in Shaping Museums of Communism Jasmine Proteau

Abstract

In the post-communist era, Eastern-European museums face three key issues in their attempts to inter- pret the history of daily life under communism: feelings of nostalgia, representing both individual and collective histories, and ‘purposeful forgetting’. As socialism was experienced differently in each regional context, a sin- gle country or museum does not give a full comparative analysis to examine these issues. This work focuses on comparing three institutions across Eastern-Europe: the Museum of Communism in Prague, the GDR Museum in Berlin, and the Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest. Two central questions guided the approach of this work: how have these museums, and the countries they represent, portrayed, memorialized – or rejected – socialism in past and how do their approaches connect or diverge? Though all are faced with complex interpretive issues, each museumEastern Europe? is unique More in its specifically, approach. what issues have these museums faced in preserving a controversial and raw

Keywords nostalgia, communism, museums, memory, culture

Museums, as cultural institutions, are at the munist era, Eastern-European museums face three key - issues in their attempts to interpret the history of daily ty. Seeking to re-establish themselves as credible sourc- life under communism: feelings of nostalgia, presenting esforefront of culture, of redefining intellectual post-communist debate, and criticalnational analysis identi both individual and collective histories, and something of the past, their interpretation of this crucial moment I have chosen to call ‘purposeful forgetting’. - As socialism was experienced differently in ments. The experience of socialism denies a singular each regional context, a single country or museum interpretation,in each nation’s and history as a isresult, reflective museums of cultural of commu senti- does not allow for enough comparative analysis to ful- nism struggle against the publics’ need to remember ly examine these issues alone. This work will focus on and their desire to forget. The interpretation methods comparing three institutions across Eastern Europe: of Eastern-European post-communist museums1 are the Museum of Communism in Prague, the German - Democratic Republic Museum (GDR) in Berlin, and the text under which they experienced both communism Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest. Two central primarily influenced by the cultural and national con- questions guide the approach of this work: how have al consciousness rather than an accurate depiction of these museums, and the countries they represent, por- theand complexities its aftermath, of contexts communist that history. often reflect In the the post-com nation- trayed, memorialized – or rejected – socialism in East-

Defying Conventions-March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey

is now considered an antique – a vintage and desirable museums faced in preserving a controversial and raw piece of the past. For the GDR, fond memories of Ger- pastern Europe? and how More do their specifically, approaches what connect issues orhave diverge? these many’s past are represented as real and valid. By ac- Though all are faced with complex interpretive issues, knowledging the feeling of nostalgia, the museum faith- each museum is unique in its approach. fully represents the coping method of the East German community that dealt with the radical instability of the post-communist era (Barney, 2009, p. 137). In the Grappling with Nostalgia GDR Guide museum director Robert Rückel responds to critics of the museum that cry ‘ostalgie!’ by assert- In previously communist countries where basic ing that a complete understanding of the GDR requires human rights were violated, conformity was key, and a look at the everyday, not simply the “closed borders even toilet paper was scarce (Drakulic, 2011, p. 15), it and constant surveillance” but also the “shortages, the is hard to imagine anyone having a sentimental longing weekly oath ceremony, and full employment” (2012, p. or a wistful desire for the past. Certainly, nostalgia is 4). Through this interpretation, which critics suggest not unique to post-socialist countries but it provokes is problematic given that feelings of nostalgia are in- a strong response when applied to a historically con- authentic by recreating a fake idealized past, the GDR troversial subject such as this. Nostalgia is a highly Museum is addressing a perception of East German life contested form of remembrance across disciplines. that is real to the people who experience it. For Volcic (2009) and Jameson (1989), “nostalgia… is However, this interpretation method needs to an obstacle to knowledge, clouding “real” history with be approached with caution as it can lead to the blend- inauthentic emotion”(Barney, 2009, p. 132-133). Yet, ing memory and history (Nora, 1989; Crane, 1997). others like Kimberly Smith see nostalgia as a complex The GDR needs to represent the history of socialist Ger- and valid contributor to communal identity (2000). many while distinguishing it from the memory, which Navigating these differing interpretations of the past “remains in permanent evolution, open to the dialectic of remembering and forgetting, unconscious of its suc- communism that, in an attempt to present the past in cessful deformations, vulnerable to manipulation and variousis an understandably forms, risk appearing difficult sympathetic task for museums to commu of- appropriation…” (Nora, 1989, p. 8). By allowing too nism if they embrace this creator of ‘communal iden- much memory, or nostalgia, to permeate the interpre- tity’. Therefore, museums of communism are required tive narrative the GDR risks ignoring or minimizing the to choose either to embrace a multi-angled approach, many negatives of living in under communist rule and attempting to engage with nostalgia by acknowledging therefore presenting a heavily biased, non-credible, in- different perspectives, or reject nostalgia as a misrepre- terpretation of past events. sentation of the past. Though Romania and Germany both experi- Berlin in particular is no stranger to communist enced an abrupt change during their transformation nostalgia; in fact, Germans have coined a word for those into democratic states, they dealt with the loss of the who still pine for the days of East Germany: ostalgie2 . In utopian dream they had been promised in different the context of ostalgie, the GDR Museum has been crit- ways. In contrast to the ostalgie of the GDR, the Roma- icized for their nostalgic displays of everyday objects nian Peasant Museum rejects nostalgia completely. This (Arnold-de Simine, 2013, p. 161). The Trabant P50 is a notable example of an everyday object used to provoke cultural context and community that is represented, but nostalgia. Despite noting that the car “exhibited con- alsodifference because in interpretationof the museum’s is partly own uniquea reflection history. of the In siderable technical defects” such as dangerous brakes terms of context, Bartmanski argues that nostalgia re- or those who hoped to own a Trabant, affectionately called the ‘Trabi’, “faced a long wait”, the car is never- by the struggle for a feeling of continuity “not neces- theless cited for inspiring “such loyalty and love” and sarilylies on any a cultural kind of rather longing than for a thesocial past” context (2011, influenced p. 222). providing “a measure of freedom in an unfree coun- Nostalgic cultural context of East Germany was largely a by-product of the East-West divide; the solidarity of a Trabant, and the car’s problematic safety issues, are a group of people that lived through communism was overshadowedtry” (GDR [website], by romantic 2015). memoriesThe difficulty of an in object obtaining that expressed through nostalgia for GDR material culture

Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey that was once “a source of perennial dissatisfaction and litical Installation, was all that remained. Communism, embarrassment” later “became emblems of pride and rather than being represented in a sympathetic light, nostalgia” (Betts, 2000, p. 736). As the two halves of was effectively demonized (National Museums Europe the country “struggled to amalgamate” easterners took Report, 2012). control of their material culture, and through nostalgia, The Czech Republic, similar to Romania, also has very few, if any, traces of nostalgia in their institu- symbols of “opposition to the lagging Westernization” tionalized memory of communism. Prague’s Museum (Barney,used museumification 2009, p. 139). toBy turnplacing everyday these objects objects in intothe GDR Museum, the objects are acknowledged as worth certainly not pro Communist…” (Museum of Commu- remembering (Scribner, 1999). This difference in cul- of Communism defines itself as “Concise, objective, but tural context between Germany and Romania is the key rejection of communist nostalgia: in 1999 only one in difference in desire for institutionalized nostalgia. tennism, Czechs 2015). were Overall, in favour the museum of returning reflects to itscommunism country’s Another important factor in the approach to (Gherghina, 2010). Sergiu Gherghina argues that the nostalgia is the history of the museum itself. The GDR relative wealth, lack of political dissent and deadlock, was established in a post-communist world to ac- and the “authoritarian policies of the third Meciar gov- ernment” (2010, p. 174) resembling those of the previ- but the Romanian Peasant Museum had once been the ous regime, helped to solidify overall Czech satisfaction Communistknowledge communismParty Museum, as significantsolely dedicated historical to lauding event, with their new democracy. In effect, Gherghina’s argu- the regime’s virtues. Nostalgia for communism would ment, that the Czech Republic did not have the nation- have been highly unpopular in Bucharest given the country’s post-communist political climate. After win- Bartmanski’s (2011) assertion of the importance of cul- turalal desire context. to foster strong feelings of nostalgia, reflects on a policy of systematic condemnation of communist German feelings of nostalgia are the strongest crimesning the aimed election at rewriting in 2004, Presidentthe history Băsescu of communism embarked in perhaps because, unlike Romania and Czech Republic, the country (Cristea et al., 2008, p. 279). To completely only half the country suffered. The displacement felt by divorce itself from its past, the museum responded by East Germans after being absorbed into West Germany establishing a new identity in complete contrast to the is represented in the common East German saying, “we one it previously embodied (Cristea et al., 2008, p. 287). have emigrated without leaving home” (Berdahl, 2009, The Romanian Peasant Museum’s decision to re-invent p. 65). Where Romania and Czech Republic nationally undertook the struggle to establish a new identity in post-socialism, East Germans were strangers in their itself ofis itsboth dreaded a reflection past. of the current social climate, own country. Nostalgia for the comfort of familiar ev- political The influence, Romanian and aPeasant desire for Museum the museum instead to shed be- eryday material goods that “once served as a source of came focused on nostalgia for the simplicity and quiet perennial dissatisfaction and embarrassment” instead nobility of peasant life. The peasant, making what little “became emblems of pride and nostalgia” (Betts, 2000, he had with his own hands, tortured the “rough mate- p. 741). It is through interpretation of this material that rial, ennobling it through suffering” (Peasant Museum, own nation’s socialist experience. However, this en- while communism was shunned and relocated to a sin- gagementmuseums engagecan only and be donereflect with the transparencyparticularities and of their crit- gle2015). exhibition In effect in the the peasantbasement became of the ainstitution. glorified martyr It was of communism with nostalgic memory. “museum inherited the exhibitions, the entire collec- ical self-reflection so as not to overshadow the history tion,difficult the library, to escape and, the not past the least completely, important, given the that staff the of the communist museum” (Cristea et al., 2008, p. 287). Representing Individual and Collective Instead of disposing of the past, as the Communist Histories Party itself would have done, most of the exhibits and books of the old museum were placed into a storage - room referred to as the “Chamber of Horrors” (Cristea pretation and display of nostalgia in museums, they et al., 2008, p. 288). A small exhibition, The Plague: Po- also affectJust interpretation as cultural conditions of the collective influence and the individu inter-

Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey al histories of socialism in each country. As a result, mu- experience, the political climate during the creation of seums of communism struggle with whether or not to the exhibit, and again, the desire to move away from balance their portrayal of the individual and the collec- the museum’s own history. This exhibition is viewed tive in their displays. Presenting the realities of daily life in contrast to the museum’s other exhibits where the under socialism poses a particular problem – dictator- objects are allowed to be interpreted by the visitor ships rarely allow for expressions of individuality and and therefore “speak for themselves” (Badica, 2011, p. certainly do not seek to preserve the ones that emerge. 286). Letting objects have more free interpretation is At its core, socialism is concerned more with the we in direct opposition to the curatorial methods used by than the I the Communist Museum. Badica further explains that period of time as both a macro and micro history that communist museums would surround the object with . Faithfully interpreting a long and significant text, as alone the object was “silent and dangerously it presents a serious problem for museums of commu- nismdefies when a single socialist interpretation governments is challenging of the past at took best, every but an interesting parallel to this, The Plague surrounds the - objectsambiguous; with itwords, is difficult newspaper to control” clippings, (2011, and p. gives 279). the In ars like Garcia Morales see museums of communism visitor a singular interpretation: displaying commu- becomingopportunity increasingly to stifle the more individual aware voice.of the Someneed toschol en- nism in terms of its ugliness rather than by the small gage visitors with the individual stories of those who triumphs and trivial daily activities of ordinary people. experienced socialism by employing more immersive By representing the violence, oppression and subjuga- and interactive experiences (2012, p. ii). Others like Du- tion, The Plague avoids any contact with the normalcy bravka Ugresic, suggest that collective memory is one associated with ordinary people in their daily lives. Yet of the many victims of communism, and although we in an attempt to push away its shameful past, the muse- may sympathize, we can never truly comprehend at an um effectively imitates the communist display methods individual level, the “dimensions of other people’s loss” it desires to escape, methods which it broke away from (2004, p. 172). Some museums, strive to balance both in the peasant exhibits. the collective and the individual in their interpretive Though The Plague itself does not present indi- frameworks, while others consciously choose to repre- vidual stories, an accompanying exhibit guide The Red sent a singular united and collective interpretation. Ox gives testimonials of peasants that went through Rather than delving into the everyday individu- the dreaded collectivization process (Okasana, 2008, p. al stories of common people, some museums focus on 293). There is no commentary in the displays on how the more violent aspects of the period as a whole. In Bu- people perceived the conditions of their lives, whether charest, the only displays of individual histories at the or not they accepted communism passively or gave any resistance, or how they coped with the constraints of are centred on the Romanian peasant. In the basement, their country. The distinctly visual nature of the room, ThePeasant Plague: Museum A Political are foundInstallation on the is uppercomprised floors, of whichnews- combined with the lack of multi-sensorial immersion paper clippings and propaganda, horrors of the collec- and interaction, gives the exhibit a very two-dimension- tivization process, and ‘fake objects’ collected from the al interpretation of communism: that of the oppressed previous displays of the former Communist Museum. people and their captors – an idea that will be explored Distinguishing the ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ objects from later in this work. the ‘fake’ objects of its inherited communist collection In Prague, the Museum of Communism takes is the main way the museum deals with its own com- small steps towards engaging its audience in individ- munist history (Cristea et al., 2008, p. 286; Bernea et al., ual stories. The museum highlights everyday life, along 1998, p. 225). Interestingly, though it displays objects with education, the army, media/propaganda, art, and considered to be fake as evidence of the oppression politics as main topics (Museum of Communism, 2015). experienced under communism, it does not attempt These topics hinge on the museum’s themes of com- to display objects that might be considered authentic, munism: “The Dream, The Reality and The Nightmare” such as everyday Romanian objects; these are reserved (Museum of Communism, 2015). Despite their efforts, reality is less present as the dream and the nightmare This avoidance of daily life is a conscious choice take over. One critic of the Museum of Communism for the displays of peasant life in the floors above. stated that there was a serious lack of “individual his- by the institution, one that was influenced by cultural Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey tory and destiny” in the museums interpretation, but ject-centric story. The museum invites you to open up Slavenka Drakulic argues that perhaps this “absence of cupboards and handle objects, listen to audio-record- individual stories” is in fact “the best illustration of the fact that individualism was the biggest sin one could displays (GDR [Website], 2015). The everyday objects commit” (2011, pp. 8-9). Drakulic believes that muse- ings, watch GDR films, and use interactive technology ums can only go so far, noting that museums cannot dis- of the hidden quality of individuality that prevailed in play “the shades of grey that prevailed in everyday life” communistthat need to countries. be ‘discovered’ Showing by the the visitor “cursed are ‘homo reflective du- (2011, p. 8) and that the things that caused daily strife, plex’” where a person was “mentally trained to sepa- like the shortages of even the most basic needs, cannot be communicated to an audience that did not experi- p. 169), is nevertheless, a testament to individuality’s ence it. Nevertheless, the Museum of Communism at- existence.rate his private life from the collective” (Ugrešić, 2004, tempts – albeit weakly – to promote some aspects of We can understand the institutional represen- individuality. While most of the display methods used tation of the collective versus the individual as being throughout the museum are traditional visual infor- mational panels and labels, reconstructions of historic present. Museums that choose to display individuality withininfluenced their by collections the cultural are more context accepting of both of pastthe daily and recreations is a classroom display that notes the im- existence under communism, while those who banish pactdisplays of communist are slightly education. more engaging. The area The is first roped of offthese so their collections to the basement without variety in the visitor must stand outside of the space looking in, their interpretation attempt to stop themselves from creating a barrier to accessing a more engaging expe- digging too deeply into the past – perhaps afraid of rience. A creepy mannequin of a child in a communist school uniform stands happily by the blackboard that what they might find. that an entire generation of children was raised in this Purposeful Forgetting waytouts . However,communist it isvalues, the interrogation allowing the room visitor that to is reflect often referred to as the highlight of the museum. For Draku- Of all the culturally constructed issues facing lic, the interrogation room is of particular importance, the museums of communism in Eastern Europe, no “think of how people lived – hundreds of millions of other aspect is quite as universal something I have cho- them – with the feeling that an interrogation room had sen to call ‘purposeful forgetting’. Using the word denial been installed in their brains.” (2011, p. 17). In a sense, simply does not capture the complexity and nuance of she believes that this is a better demonstration of how selective memory that has shaped public remembrance people felt about their individuality – the need to keep of communism. Instead, purposeful forgetting acknowl- it secret for fear of discovery. edges the reality of the selective memory, reinterpreta- But to deny that people expressed individuality tion of the past, and self-victimization that is present during their years of living daily life under socialism, in all three of the museum institutions under examina- and that it cannot be represented in a museum, is in- tion. accurate. Despite the fact that individualism was not Despite the fact that each country, and cultur- al institution, has had to deal with different degrees of that people obeyed unconditionally. As Rückel explains, purposeful forgetting, they all desire to move past com- thoughencouraged the dictatorship or represented in the officially GDR shaped does not the meanlives munism (Trnka, 2013; Brier, 2009). Yet, they are also all of its citizens, it does not mean people did not “smile, painfully aware of the possible cost of forgetting com- laugh, play, love, and disobey” (2012, p. 4). In terms of munism altogether; without museums, sites of memory, capturing the everyday life of the common people, the and other ways of preserving history, post-communist GDR Museum is much more successful at represent- countries fear the possibility of “succumbing to apa- ing individuality than the Communist Museum or The thy”, forgetting about communism and “thus enabling Plague exhibit. The GDR’s interactive and immersive its return” (Trnka, 2013, p. 37). Museums in Eastern displays are more in line with contemporary curatorial Europe face having to acknowledge their nation’s place practice aimed at providing the visitor with an individ- in history within their institutions by displaying “an un- ual immersive experience rather than a dictated ob- wanted relic that national history had to accommodate”

Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey

(Badica, 2013, pp. 108-109). This historical relic does hand and remember the realities of daily communist its people. Coping with this undesirable past leads to a life.nist Withoutcountries an that underlying have experienced cultural desire this tohistory forget first the refashioningnot always paint of historical a flattering narratives picture and of overemphasis the nation or past, museums would face greater pressure to create a of national suffering while simultaneously skirting any strong institutionalized memory of communism in their collective or national responsibility. country. Therefore, it is the whole cultural context, both - - nore it, a method used by many in the early years of tation of communism. post-communism. One way to In deal the early with ayears difficult of its past transforma is to ig- citizen andSelf-victimization state, that influences is another museological method interpreused by tion from a socialist state to a democratic one, the Roma- post-communist Eastern European countries in an at- nian Peasant Museum ignored recent history “to make tempt both to unify their people under a newly created it easier to reach back to the interwar period where the national identity and to cope with the guilt of their past ‘real’ Romanian history and identity were supposed to complacency. By establishing themselves as victims be found” (Cristea et al., p. 290). In the creation of this and communists as abusers, nations create a narrative new/old national history, Verdery asks, “how did it hap- that allows them “to manipulate sentiment and circum- pen that Romania is partly resuscitating the past in this way, seeking to lift out whole chunks of the Communist (European National Museums, 2012, p. 51). But coun- period as it if had never occurred?” (1996, p. 136). Ba- triesvent thewere difficulties not mere of victims violent of and communism. contested Suchhistories” gov- dica believes that these missing ‘chunks’ of Romania’s ernment regimes would not have lasted long without past can be largely blamed on neo-communist power some support from their people – a reality that simi- that created what she sees as a “black hole paradigm” larly haunts countries directly involved with the Holo- (2010, p. 82), borne out of constantly denying access to caust. In the Czech Republic, Drakulic exclaims that, the past, successfully transforming the whole commu- If you believed what people here say, you would nist era into one big crime. There is certainly evidence think that not a single person in this whole coun- of this selective memory in The Plague where commu- try was ever a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. They were all victims! … 10 per- - cent of the population were party members… that outnism the is restvilified of the in themuseum. depths The of thebanishment basement of and the theex- means one million seven hundred thousand people. hibitionidealized to pre-communist the basement, a peasant space that is glorifiedis in a way through hidden (2011, p. 7) and out of sight from those who do not already know it These numbers are staggering, and while not exists, is a concrete example of Romania’s criminaliza- everyone was a true supporter, certainly not all can tion of communism. There is also no interpretive text to claim coercion. While the Museum of Communism does help the visitor examine the complex involvement Ro- not directly challenge this involvement, it does state mania and its citizens had with communism, only add- that its purpose is “[to show] how this amazing Nation ing to the silence that surrounds the whole topic. - While looking at gender representations in Ro- seum of Communism, 2015), effectively embracing the manian public institutions, Alina Haliliuc argues that feelinglived through of nationalism such difficult that works and totalitarian to gloss over times” culpabil (Mu- institutionalized places of memory “intervene in the ity and uses the museum to skew the past in a more fa- memory and identity” of the people who lived during vourable light. To a lesser extent, the GDR Museum also and came after the era (2013, p. 109). She argues that uses selective memory through their concentration on the institutions control how history is remembered and the resilience of everyday people and by creating feel- have the ability to alter it at will. As many Eastern Euro- ings of sympathy for East Germans. By displaying East pean countries have state controlled government bod- Germans as individuals who toiled under, and resisted, ies that exist to study this period, such as the Institute the abuses of communism, the audience can connect for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in Czech Repub- with their suffering on an emotional level, altering their lic3, Haliliuc’s argument allows us to question who re- perceptions of the East German public’s involvement in ally controls institutional memory in post-communism maintaining the communist regime. (Sniegon, 2013, p. 106). However, this interpretation Self-victimization among Eastern European gives no agency to the people living in post-commu- countries also involves using Russia as a scapegoat. La-

Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey vinia Stan argues that societies that failed to act against rather than a participant. In Germany, adopting a more communism blame Russia, a foreign power, for their individualized approach with an interactive and often dictatorships effectively “exonerating their own soci- nostalgic view of communism, however problematic, eties” (2006, p. 396). With such a large and powerful country like Russia constantly looming the rest of East- ern Europe it is easy to see how this approach might be individualis a reflection stories of their and culturalnostalgia context. form linksWith onlybetween half one of the easiest ways of purposefully forgetting one’s Easternersthe country themselves having experienced while also socialismattempting first to recon hand,- own involvement in the communist regime. The Muse- nect with the other half of the country. As the cultural um of Communism is subtle in its over representation context of post-communist countries evolve over time, of Russian involvement (Drakulic, 2011, pp. 12-13) museums will continue to straddle the divide between while the Peasant Museum is not so subtle. The GDR, remembrance and purposeful forgetting, individualism with its strong focus on the daily lives of East Germans, and nationalism, memory and history. is the one museum of the three under examination that does not try to place blame on Russia. While the Mu- seum of Communism uses text panels and artefacts to Notes The Plague is entirely centred on the domination of Russia in Ro- 1By this I mean museums that focus on communism as a mania,discuss bothRussian visually influence and intextually. Czech Republic, This emphasis on topic of examination in the post-communist era. Russia shifts the focus off of their own culpability, and instead, blames a foreign power for the communist ills 2 Ostalgie translates into “nostalgia of the East” (Zeit- that befell their own weaker country – unable to defend chik, 2003) itself from a tyrant. By understanding the cultural context of each 3 Originally called the Institute of National Memory country that experienced communism, it becomes ap- parent where these differences in approach are creat- ed and also highlight the areas that museums in these References countries might want to tackle as a part of coming to terms with the past. Museums of communism, like any Arnold-de Simine, Sike. (2013). Mediating Memory in - the Museum: Trauma, Empathy, Nostalgia. New scious of their audience while also seeking to challenge York: Palgrave MacMillan. somemuseum of these dealing reactionary with difficult tendencies knowledge, to create can distancbe con- es between the past and the present. This paper has labels? Romanian national museums and the Bădică, fallSimina. of communism. (2011). Same In exhibitions,S. Knell (Ed.), different National the cultural context under which they were developed Museums: New Studies from Around the World. andshown therefore that museums represent of their communism country’s are cultural reflective under of- New York: Routledge. standing of a controversial period in history. To fully deconstruct all the facets of museums of communism hibiting Communism in Post-Communist Ro in post-communist countries would take much more Bădică, mania.Simina. History (2010). of The Communism Black Hole in Paradigm: Europe. Vol. Ex 1. exploration than I have provided here. Instead, I have argued that cultural context in each Eastern European Curating the Museum of Communist Party His country has shaped their memory of socialism, there- Bădică, torySimina. in Romania (2013). The (1948-1958). Revolutionary Historical Museum: Year by affecting how this history is presented in museums, book, Vol. X. 95-109. - Barney, Timothy. (2009). When We Was Red: Good Bye monized, or desired perception rather than a multi-fac- Lenin! and Nostalgia for the ‘Everyday EDR’. etedoften and altering complex this history. representation In the Romanian to fit an Peasantidealize, Mu de- Communism and Critical/Cultural Studies, 6 seum and in Czech Republic’s Museum of Communism, (2). 132-151. collectivism is favoured over individual stories and in- Bartmanski, Dominik. (2011). Successful Icons of Failed stitutional memory is used to reframe history in more Time: Rethinking Post-Communist Nostalgia. Acta Sociologica, 54 (3). 213-231. flattering terms with the aim of claiming to be a victim Defying Conventions - March 2016 Proteau, Jasmine Shades of Red, Shades of Grey

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