Friday
(0)It seems many important building in Moscow may still be mined from WWII.
Indeed, the recollections of another NKVD officer only corroborate Krotov’s story. “On October 20, 1941, there was an order to place explosives beneath the most prominent objects in the capital,” Pavel Sudoplatov, once the head of the Central Staff of the Fighter Battalion of the NKVD, wrote in a memoir. According to Sudoplatov, the Bolshoi Theater and other buildings were on the list. They could be blown up only on very special orders, however, and only if occupied by Germany’s top leadership.
The German's would have found Moscow nights to be rather more high energy affairs than expected... as they watched the last waltz at the Bolshoi.
You know, they always mock the supervillain who makes a big red button that destroys his own base. Those WWII guys obviously needed the How To Be An Evil Overlord list to avoid such errors.
Posted by Just John at September 10, 2005 05:18 AM
Hi -
Long time lurker.
Waltz at the Bolshoi?
Ballet at the Bolshoi. Waltz is, of course, a decadent bourgoisie tradition, developed by the corrupt leisure class in Vienna, home of despots and inbreeding.
:-)
And no one in Austria watches waltzes, except at the annual debutante ball, but rather dances them...
Posted by John F. Opie at September 10, 2005 09:07 AM
Oh, I know. But I could not have made a second movie pun otherwise.
Posted by Dale Amon at September 10, 2005 12:57 PM
John: there are many waltzes featured in many ballets, especially the Russian ones, such as the Swan Lake.
"Waltz is, of course, a decadent bourgoisie tradition". No, rock-n-roll is:-)
Posted by Alisa at September 10, 2005 02:25 PM
I wonder if the Swiss have disarmed the mines on their bridges yet. They must at least have replaced the explosives, which would be quite unstable by now.
Posted by Mitch at September 11, 2005 03:05 PM
