Deborah Chan
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to Moscow with his wife, Jane, for their honeymoon in 1988. The trip was an official 10-day visit to the Soviet Union, which was an unusual choice for a honeymoon, and included a delegation of about 10 other people. The couple visited Red Square, Lenin's tomb, and Yaroslavl, a sister city to Burlington. The trip was not a romantic getaway, but it did draw scrutiny, and Sanders has since described it as a “very strange honeymoon.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Politician's name | Bernie Sanders |
| Year of honeymoon | 1988 |
| Honeymoon destination | Moscow, Russia (then the Soviet Union) |
| Honeymoon duration | 10 days |
| Political affiliation | Democratic socialist |
| Political role at the time | Mayor of Burlington, Vermont |
| Honeymoon companion | Jane Sanders, his wife |
| Other travellers | About 10 others |
| Purpose of trip | Diplomacy, to set up a "sister city" arrangement with Yaroslavl |
| Activities | Walking through Red Square, visiting Lenin's tomb, touring factories, hospitals, and schools, boating on the Volga River |
| Impact | Criticism and scrutiny during Sanders' political campaigns |
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What You'll Learn
Bernie Sanders' Moscow honeymoon was an official trip
In 1988, Bernie Sanders, then the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to the Soviet Union with his wife, Jane Sanders, shortly after their wedding. Although Sanders himself has referred to the trip as a "very strange honeymoon", it was, in fact, an official government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and the city of Yaroslavl. The couple even set their wedding date to coincide with the pre-scheduled trip.
The trip to the Soviet Union was Sanders's most significant foreign venture at the time. It lasted 10 days and included a visit to Moscow, where Sanders walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's tomb. They also went to Leningrad (now St Petersburg), where they visited a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II are buried. Sanders then travelled to Yaroslavl, where he and his companions toured factories, hospitals, and schools. During a boat ride on the Volga River, Sanders interviewed the city's mayor for a Burlington radio show, asking him about the costs of housing and healthcare. Throughout the trip, local officials took Sanders's entourage aside, telling them that the Soviet system was near collapse.
Sanders was enthralled by the hospitality he experienced in the Soviet Union and the lessons that could be brought back home. "Let's take the strengths of both systems," he said upon completing the trip. "Let's learn from each other." However, the trip was not without controversy. Right-leaning websites have suggested that Sanders was "cozying up to communists", and it has been used against him by Republican candidates who accuse him of Bolshevism and having ties to Russia.
While the trip to the Soviet Union has been referred to as a honeymoon, it was not a traditional romantic getaway. The primary purpose of the trip was diplomacy, and it included meetings, interviews, and diplomatic functions. The couple had a more traditional honeymoon the following year in St Lucia in the Caribbean.
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Sanders' Moscow trip was to set up a sister city arrangement
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to Moscow with his wife, Jane, in 1988 for their honeymoon. The trip was an official 10-day visit to the Soviet Union, which was, at the time, Sanders' most significant foreign venture. The newlyweds were joined by about 10 other people, including a dozen-member delegation of officials.
The primary purpose of the trip was to establish a "sister city" arrangement with the city of Yaroslavl, located about 160 miles northeast of Moscow. This was part of Sanders' unorthodox attempt to take on international issues from a small city in New England. The program has facilitated exchanges between the two cities involving a wide range of people, from government officials to students and artists.
During their time in Moscow, Sanders and his wife walked through Red Square, visited Lenin's tomb, and saw the GUM department store. They also travelled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and Yaroslavl, where they toured factories, hospitals, and schools. Throughout the trip, Sanders extolled the virtues of Soviet life and culture while also acknowledging its shortcomings, such as food shortages and poor housing conditions.
The trip to Moscow and the subsequent "sister city" arrangement with Yaroslavl have been scrutinized by Sanders' opponents, who have questioned his judgment and suggested Communist sympathies or anti-American tendencies. However, others have argued that the trip was undertaken to foster diplomacy and mutual understanding between the two countries during a transformative period in US-Soviet relations.
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The trip was an attempt to take on international issues
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and his wife, Jane, spent their honeymoon in Moscow, Russia, in 1988. The trip was an attempt to take on international issues and an opportunity to learn from each other's systems.
Sanders, a self-described socialist, had an unusual interest in foreign affairs for a mayor. The trip to the Soviet Union was his most significant foreign venture at the time. It was an official visit with a delegation of about a dozen members, including his wife and other officials. Their goal was to establish a ""sister city" relationship with Yaroslavl, a community along the Volga River. This was part of Sanders' unorthodox attempt to take on international issues from a small city in New England. The "honeymoon" was dotted with meetings, interviews, and diplomatic functions.
During their 10-day stay, Sanders and his wife visited Moscow, Yaroslavl, and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). They walked through Red Square, saw Lenin's tomb, and visited a cemetery where thousands of Soviets killed during World War II were buried. They also took a boat ride on the Volga River, where Sanders interviewed the mayor of Yaroslavl for a Burlington radio show. Throughout the trip, they were shown the best side of the Soviet Union, with big tables of food and entertainment. However, they also witnessed some of the country's shortcomings, such as food lines and shabby housing.
Upon returning from his trip, Sanders praised the Soviet housing and healthcare systems and openly criticized the United States. He acknowledged the downsides of the Soviet system, such as food shortages and a lack of political freedom, but he also saw positive aspects, such as low-cost housing. Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union has been scrutinized and used against him by his opponents, who claim it as evidence of dubious judgment and even Communist sympathies. However, others argue that the Soviet Union at the time was not a place for an admirer of communism to find comfort.
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Sanders' Moscow trip was criticised as cosying up to communists
In 1988, Bernie Sanders, the then-mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to the Soviet Union with his wife, Jane, for their honeymoon. The trip has been described as "a very strange honeymoon" by Sanders himself, who is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist. The couple's journey to Moscow has been criticised as cosying up to communists.
The timing of Sanders' trip was notable, as it took place shortly after President Reagan's visit to Moscow, where he met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was pushing for openness and reform. Reagan even admitted that he no longer viewed the USSR as an "evil empire". This context is important because it signifies a shift in US-Soviet relations, which were in the midst of transformation.
During his trip, Sanders walked through Red Square, visited Lenin's tomb, and travelled to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). He also went to Yaroslavl, Burlington's "sister city", where he toured factories, hospitals, and schools. Sanders praised the Soviet housing system, noting that housing in the USSR cost only 5% of a Russian's income, compared to 40% in the United States. He also criticised the United States for "intervening" in other countries, while failing to mention Soviet interventions, such as the erection of the Iron Curtain.
The right-leaning media criticised Sanders' trip, accusing him of "cozying up to communists". They argued that the journey was an ideological gesture, given his socialist beliefs. However, others, like Howard Seaver, an official with a Burlington business group, claimed that Sanders also witnessed the downsides of the Soviet system, including food shortages and a lack of political freedom. Seaver suggested that this trip may have influenced Sanders' current views, where he supports free-enterprise and capitalism but also wants a strong safety net.
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The trip was also criticised as evidence of dubious judgement
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, and his wife, Jane, spent their honeymoon in Moscow, Russia, in 1988. Sanders was a self-described socialist with an unusually large interest in foreign affairs for a mayor. The trip was an official visit to establish a "sister city" relationship with Yaroslavl, a community along the Volga River.
Sanders himself acknowledged the shortcomings of the Soviet system while also extolling its virtues and cultural life. He saw the value in learning from each other and taking the strengths of both systems. The trip included diplomatic functions, such as meetings and interviews, and Sanders combined business and pleasure by meeting ordinary people and touring factories, hospitals, and schools.
The timing of the trip, shortly after Reagan's summit in Moscow with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, drew attention. Sanders praised the summit as a positive step forward, muting his criticism of Reagan. The trip to the Soviet Union, an unusual choice for a honeymoon, became a significant foreign venture for Sanders and has been a notable chapter in his political career.
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Frequently asked questions
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, spent his honeymoon in Moscow, Russia (then the Soviet Union) in 1988.
Bernie Sanders' wife was Jane.
Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, visited Red Square and saw Lenin's tomb. They also went to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and Yaroslavl. The trip was an official visit to set up a "'sister city' arrangement with Yaroslavl.
