Lyla Dejesus
Bernie Sanders, former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to the Soviet Union with his wife, Jane, shortly after their wedding in 1988. The trip was a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl, a city in the Soviet Union. The trip has been referred to as a strange honeymoon by Sanders and his wife, and while it was not a traditional honeymoon, it did include some leisure activities, such as walking through Red Square and seeing Lenin's tomb.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
| Honeymoon Location | Yaroslavl, Soviet Union |
| Honeymoon Purpose | Establishing Burlington's sister city relationship with Yaroslavl |
| Honeymoon Length | 10 days |
| Real Honeymoon Location | St. Lucia in the Caribbean |
| Real Honeymoon Year | 1989 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Bernie Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union was a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl
- The trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense and the couple took a separate honeymoon in the Caribbean the following year
- The trip was dubbed a very strange honeymoon by Sanders himself
- The trip was used by Republican candidates to accuse Sanders of Bolshevism
- Sanders was criticised for eulogising Soviet housing and healthcare while failing to acknowledge the systematic Soviet repression of dissidents
Bernie Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union was a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl
Bernie Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union in 1988 has been described as a "strange honeymoon" by Sanders himself and the media. However, the trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense. Rather, it was a government trip with a delegation of 12 people, including his wife, Jane Sanders, to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl. The suggestion for Yaroslavl to become Burlington's sister city came from Robert Daniels, a University of Vermont history professor, who noted the similarities between the two cities in terms of environment and academic institutions.
The sister-city relationship was intended to strengthen ties between the United States and the Soviet Union and promote world peace and nuclear negotiations. Mayor Sanders believed that sending a delegation to the Soviet Union to foster better relations was more important than sending city employees to conferences on relatively less significant topics. The trip was also an opportunity for Sanders to combine business with pleasure, as he met "ordinary people" and visited landmarks such as Red Square and Lenin's tomb.
Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union occurred during a time of relationship-building between the two countries, with dozens of American cities forging ties with Soviet cities, encouraged by President Reagan. This opening-up of the Soviet Union provided an opportunity for Sanders to pursue his goal of establishing a sister-city relationship with a Russian city. The Kremlin also viewed these sister-city relationships as a way to sway American public opinion about the Soviet Union and carry out information-propaganda efforts.
Despite the criticism and accusations of having a "soft spot" for Russia, Sanders' trip to the Soviet Union as a newlywed couple was a government initiative to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl. The trip was not a traditional honeymoon, and the couple took a separate, more conventional honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean the following year.
Honeymoon Packages: $3800 - A Good Deal?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense and the couple took a separate honeymoon in the Caribbean the following year
Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane did travel to the Soviet Union in 1988, shortly after their wedding. However, this trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense, as it was primarily a diplomatic mission to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl, Russia. The trip included about 10 extra guests and was dotted with meetings, interviews, and diplomatic functions. Sanders himself has referred to the trip as a "very strange honeymoon" and a "quiet and romantic" honeymoon, indicating that it was not a typical romantic getaway for the newlyweds.
During their time in the Soviet Union, Sanders and his wife visited Moscow, where they walked through Red Square, saw Lenin's tomb, and visited Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). They also traveled to Yaroslavl, where they toured factories, hospitals, and schools. Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist, found things he liked about the Soviet system, such as the affordable housing, which cost only 5% of a Russian's income compared to 40% in the United States. He also criticized the United States for its interventions in other countries but failed to mention similar Soviet interventions, such as the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
The trip to the Soviet Union was not the couple's only honeymoon. The following year, Bernie and Jane Sanders took a more traditional honeymoon to St. Lucia in the Caribbean. This trip likely served as the romantic getaway that the couple may have desired, offering a contrast to the diplomatic focus of their previous trip to the Soviet Union.
The characterization of the Soviet Union trip as a honeymoon has been used by some critics to imply that Sanders has ties to or a soft spot for Russia. However, the trip occurred during a period of improving relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987 and Reagan's speech in Moscow's Red Square in 1988.
Honeymoon Fund Jar: Creative Placement Ideas for Your Home
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Bernie [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41BLc-0nV7L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The trip was dubbed a very strange honeymoon by Sanders himself
In 1988, Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, travelled to the Soviet Union, shortly after their wedding. Sanders himself has described this trip as a "very strange honeymoon". The trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense, but rather a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl. The trip included about 10 extra guests and was dotted with meetings, interviews, and diplomatic functions.
Sanders, then the socialist mayor of Burlington, Vermont, combined business and pleasure as he met "ordinary people" from everyday walks of life (carefully selected by the Communist Party). He walked through Red Square and saw Lenin's tomb, visited Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and took a boat ride down the Volga River. He travelled to Yaroslavl, Burlington's "sister city", where he toured factories, hospitals, and schools, all spruced up for the American visitors like a 20th-century Potemkin village.
Sanders found things that he liked during his trip, including the housing, which cost only 5% of a Russian's income instead of the 40% in the United States. However, it is important to note that he did not experience the full picture of Soviet life. For example, he did not visit the cramped living conditions of many Moscow residents or see the empty government grocery stores with their unappealing offerings.
Upon his return to Vermont, Sanders held a news conference in which he praised Soviet housing and health care and openly criticised America. However, he failed to mention the systematic Soviet repression of dissidents and the country's history of interventions in other countries since World War II.
Honeymooning in Jamaica: How Much Does it Cost?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The trip was used by Republican candidates to accuse Sanders of Bolshevism
Bernie Sanders, the former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, travelled to the Soviet Union with his wife, Jane, shortly after their wedding in 1988. The trip was made as part of a government initiative to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington and Yaroslavl, Russia. Although Sanders and his wife have referred to the trip as a "strange honeymoon", it was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense. The trip's primary purpose was diplomacy, not leisure, and included about 10 extra guests. The couple had a more traditional honeymoon a year later in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
The trip to the Soviet Union has been used by critics and Republican candidates to accuse Sanders of having a soft spot for Russia or, more specifically, Bolshevism. This accusation gained traction during Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, with critics claiming that he had honeymooned in the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. This claim was made by several prominent figures, including former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Fox News anchor Sean Hannity.
The implication that Sanders may have nefarious ties to Russia or a soft spot for Communism is based on the assumption that his trip to the Soviet Union was a honeymoon in the traditional sense of a romantic getaway. However, this assumption is misleading, as the trip was primarily diplomatic in nature. Sanders himself has described the trip as a “very strange honeymoon", indicating that it was not a typical honeymoon choice.
Despite the trip's diplomatic focus, Sanders did find aspects of Soviet life that he admired. He praised the housing system in the Soviet Union, noting that it cost only 5% of a Russian's income, compared to 40% in the United States. He also criticised the United States' intervention in other countries during a banquet. However, his comments did not acknowledge the Soviet Union's own interventions and repressions, such as the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the suppression of courageous dissidents like Natan Sharansky.
In conclusion, while the trip to the Soviet Union by Bernie and Jane Sanders has been characterised as a "honeymoon" by critics and Republican candidates, it was primarily a diplomatic endeavour. The accusation that Sanders has a soft spot for Bolshevism is based on a misleading characterisation of the trip and ignores the complex political context of the late 1980s.
Langkawi: A Romantic Honeymoon Destination in Malaysia
You may want to see also
Sanders was criticised for eulogising Soviet housing and healthcare while failing to acknowledge the systematic Soviet repression of dissidents
Bernie Sanders, the U.S. senator and former presidential candidate, travelled to the Soviet Union shortly after his wedding in 1988. Sanders himself has described this trip as a "very strange honeymoon". The trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense but rather a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl.
One notable omission in Sanders' praise of the Soviet Union was the systematic repression of dissidents. For example, he did not mention Natan Sharansky, a courageous dissident who was imprisoned in the gulag and may have remained there if not for President Ronald Reagan's efforts to end the Cold War. Sanders' critics argue that he ignored these issues because of his soft spot for Russia or his positive view of socialism.
In addition to the above, it is worth noting that Sanders did not experience the full extent of life in the Soviet Union during his trip. For instance, he did not visit a typical government grocery store, which often lacked goods and fresh produce, or interact with ordinary Soviet citizens outside of those carefully selected by the Communist Party. These factors further contributed to the criticism that Sanders received for his eulogising of the Soviet Union.
Honeymoon Cystitis: How Long Does the Pain Last?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Bernie Sanders travelled to the Soviet Union shortly after his wedding in 1988 on a government trip to establish a sister-city relationship between Burlington, Vermont, and Yaroslavl. Although the trip was not a honeymoon in the traditional sense, Sanders and his wife Jane have referred to it as a "very strange honeymoon" in jest.
Although Bernie Sanders' trip to Moscow was not a traditional honeymoon, he did find things that he liked, including the housing, which cost only 5% of a Russian's income instead of the 40% cost in the United States.
Yes, Sanders and his wife visited Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and took a boat ride down the Volga River. They also travelled to Yaroslavl, a city in the Soviet Union, about 160 miles northwest of Moscow.
Yes, according to sources, Bernie Sanders missed out on witnessing the true face of the Cuban Revolution. It is believed that he did not get the opportunity to see the reality of the situation in Moscow, including the systematic Soviet repression of dissidents.
Yes, Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane took a more traditional honeymoon the following year in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
