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The House of Terror was the single most sobering and moving museum that we saw on our trip. The House of Terror is located on the premises of a building that was actually used to torture and kill political dissidents throughout the 20th Century.
Visitors are immediately faced with a giant tank upon paying their admission and entering the museum.
Photography was not allowed within the museum itself. The exhibits simply overwhelmed the senses. The first room was particularly memorable. On one side, videos of World War II and the advance of the Nazis played. On the other side, the Iron Curtain descended on the region as Stalin, the Soviet army, and communism advanced. It is believed that Hitler and the war and genocide that he waged destabilized the region and make it susceptible to communist influences in the post war era. While the videos cycled, hard, thumping, industrial-style music played in the background -- very moving. The House of Terror featured many videos of individuals telling their stories of suffering in the Gulag. Hangings did not occur on the premises, but it was haunting to see actual gallows used in executions and hear children's voices read the names of the condemned. A room full of communist propaganda lightened the mood (slightly) before descending into a block of torture chambers. I highly recommend this museum despite the grave subject matter. We learned so much about both World War II and Communist Era history in the region.Link to next post