Lyla Dejesus
In 1988, Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, travelled to the Soviet Union, visiting Moscow, Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and Yaroslavl. The trip, which took place shortly after their wedding, has been described by Sanders as a very strange honeymoon. However, it was not a traditional honeymoon, and the couple travelled with a delegation of around 10 others from Burlington, Vermont, with the primary purpose of the trip being to establish a sister-city relationship with Yaroslavl.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the trip | 1988 |
| Trip duration | 10 days |
| Honeymoon destination | Yaroslavl, a city in the Soviet Union |
| Real honeymoon destination | St. Lucia in the Caribbean |
| Trip purpose | Diplomacy, establishing a sister city in Russia |
| Trip members | Bernie Sanders, Jane Sanders, 10 others |
| Trip activities | Walking through Red Square, visiting Lenin's Tomb, touring factories, hospitals, and schools, boat ride on the Volga River |
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What You'll Learn
- Bernie Sanders' trip to the USSR was his first foreign venture
- The trip was an official 10-day visit to the communist country
- Sanders and his wife, Jane, were on their honeymoon
- The trip was part of a sister-city program between Burlington and Yaroslavl
- Sanders praised Soviet housing and healthcare and criticised America
Bernie Sanders' trip to the USSR was his first foreign venture
Bernie Sanders' trip to the USSR in 1988 was his first significant foreign venture. Sanders, then the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, had recently tied the knot with his wife, Jane. The couple chose to spend their first days as newlyweds in the Soviet Union, in what Sanders himself described as a “very strange honeymoon." The trip was an official 10-day visit to the communist country, combining business and pleasure.
The delegation of about 10 to 12 people, including Jane, left Burlington the day after the wedding. The trip's primary purpose was diplomacy, aiming to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl, a Russian city on the Volga River. This initiative was not solely proposed by Sanders; it was suggested by a University of Vermont history professor, Robert Daniels, who noted the similarities between the two cities.
During their time in the USSR, Sanders and his entourage first visited Moscow, where they walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's Tomb. They then travelled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and visited a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried. In Yaroslavl, they toured factories, hospitals, and schools, and Sanders interviewed the city's mayor for a Burlington radio show, discussing housing and healthcare.
The trip occurred during a pivotal time in US-Soviet relations, with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pushing for openness and reform. Sanders praised the efforts towards improving relations, muting his criticism of Reagan and calling the summit with Gorbachev "a major step forward for humanity." Sanders' trip to the USSR provided him with insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the Soviet system, influencing his views on foreign policy and his desire to learn from each other's strengths.
While some critics have used this trip to imply that Sanders has soft spots for Russia or Bolshevism, the context of the trip and his later clarifications provide a more nuanced understanding of his motivations and experiences during this first foreign venture.
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The trip was an official 10-day visit to the communist country
In 1988, Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, travelled to the Soviet Union on what has been described as an "official 10-day visit" and an "extraordinary [...] chapter in Sanders lore". The trip was an unusual one for a couple on their honeymoon, and it has since been scrutinised by political critics and the media.
The journey began just a day after Sanders and Jane exchanged vows in a park on Lake Champlain. The couple boarded a flight to Moscow, where they walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's Tomb. They then visited Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where they stopped at a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried. During this leg of the trip, Sanders and his companions listened to "Swan Lake" playing from speakers strung from the trees.
The official purpose of the trip was to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl, Russia. This initiative was not proposed by Sanders himself but by Robert Daniels, a University of Vermont history professor. Yaroslavl, located on the Volga River, was chosen for its scenic views and its similarities to Burlington in terms of environment and academic institutions.
Sanders and his entourage toured factories, hospitals, and schools in Yaroslavl. They also experienced a classic Russian celebration, which included a trip to the sauna and a bath in cold water. The Vermonters wrapped themselves in towels and donned toga-style sheets before gathering around a table laden with vodka bottles. A video from this trip captures a bare-chested Sanders, listening with delight to Russian folk songs.
Upon his return, Sanders held a news conference where he praised Soviet housing and healthcare while critiquing certain aspects of American life. He also expressed his enthusiasm for combining business and pleasure on the trip, stating, "Let's take the strengths of both systems. Let's learn from each other."
While the trip has been labelled by some as a "honeymoon" in the Soviet Union, it is important to note that Sanders and his wife took a more traditional honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean the following year. The Yaroslavl trip, which included about 10 additional guests, has been described by the couple and their associates as a "joke" or a strange honeymoon. It was primarily a diplomatic mission aimed at fostering international relations and understanding.
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Sanders and his wife, Jane, were on their honeymoon
Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, were on their honeymoon when they travelled to the Soviet Union in 1988. The trip was an official 10-day visit to the communist country, which was also an unusual diplomatic trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl, Russia. The couple had just gotten married on May 28, 1988, and the delegation left Burlington the very next day.
Sanders, then the socialist mayor of Burlington, Vermont, described the trip as a "'very strange honeymoon'" in his 1997 memoir, 'Outsider in the House'. The trip was not a traditional honeymoon, as it included about 10 other people, and its primary purpose was diplomacy, not leisure. However, Sanders did combine business with pleasure, meeting "ordinary people" from everyday walks of life and experiencing the local culture. He walked through Red Square, saw Lenin's tomb, and visited a cemetery in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried.
Sanders and his wife also toured factories, hospitals, and schools in Yaroslavl. They experienced Russian hospitality, including a classic Russian celebration at a workers' retreat with a trip to the sauna and a bath in cold water. Sanders and his colleagues wrapped themselves in towels and toga-style sheets, singing and drinking vodka with their hosts.
Upon completing the trip, Sanders expressed a desire to learn from both systems, stating, "Let's take the strengths of both systems. Let's learn from each other." The trip has been a topic of interest and criticism for political opponents, who have used it to imply that Sanders has ties to or a soft spot for Russia. However, Sanders has joked about the trip himself, acknowledging its unusual nature as a honeymoon.
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The trip was part of a sister-city program between Burlington and Yaroslavl
The trip Bernie Sanders took to the Soviet Union in 1988 was part of a sister-city program between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl, a city in the Soviet Union. The sister-city program was an initiative to establish cultural and economic ties between the two cities. The program aimed to foster international cooperation and mutual understanding between the people of Burlington and Yaroslavl.
Sanders, who was the mayor of Burlington at the time, led a 12-person delegation to the Soviet Union, which included his wife, Jane, and representatives from the city government, the Chamber of Commerce, and other civic institutions. The trip occurred just after Sanders' wedding, leading to it being dubbed a honeymoon by some, although it was primarily a diplomatic venture.
During their time in the Soviet Union, the delegation first visited Moscow, where they walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's Tomb. They then travelled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and visited a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried. The group then proceeded to Yaroslavl, where they toured factories, hospitals, and schools. Sanders also interviewed the city's mayor for a Burlington radio show, discussing the costs of housing and healthcare.
The trip was significant for Sanders, as it influenced his views on foreign policy and the balance between socialism and capitalism. He praised the Moscow Metro system and various Soviet art programs, while also acknowledging the downsides of the Soviet system, such as food shortages and a lack of political freedom. The trip garnered attention due to its unusual nature and the political implications of a self-identified socialist visiting the Soviet Union during a transformative period in US-Soviet relations.
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Sanders praised Soviet housing and healthcare and criticised America
In 1988, Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, travelled to the Soviet Union, a trip that has been described as the couple's honeymoon. The trip was an official 10-day visit to the communist country, which came at a pivotal time in US-Soviet relations.
Sanders, then the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and a self-identified socialist, had a unique perspective on the trip. He saw it as an opportunity to combine business and pleasure, meeting "ordinary people" and experiencing Soviet culture and hospitality.
During his time in the USSR, Sanders visited Moscow, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and Yaroslavl, a sister city of Burlington. In Moscow, he walked through Red Square, saw Lenin's Tomb, and praised the metro system and various Soviet art programs. In Leningrad, he visited a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried.
In Yaroslavl, Sanders toured factories, hospitals, and schools, and interviewed the city's mayor about the costs of housing and healthcare. It was in this context that Sanders made comments praising Soviet housing and healthcare while criticising America. According to The Washington Post, Sanders "eulogized Soviet housing and health care and openly criticized America".
While the full context of Sanders's comments is not known, he later reflected on his trip, saying, "Let's take the strengths of both systems. Let's learn from each other." This sentiment reflects Sanders's belief in "democratic socialism" and his desire to break down "international barriers of hatred and mistrust".
It is important to note that the trip to the Soviet Union was not a traditional honeymoon, and Sanders and his wife have joked about the unusual timing and nature of the visit. They took a more traditional honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean the following year.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, travelled to the Soviet Union for their honeymoon in 1988.
Sanders and his wife first visited Moscow, where he walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's Tomb. They then went to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) before travelling to Yaroslavl, a city in the Soviet Union.
The trip's primary purpose was diplomacy, not leisure. Sanders and his wife were part of a 12-person delegation from Burlington, Vermont, that visited the Soviet Union to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl.
