A History Lesson

Our demolition revealed yet another interesting thing hidden behind the walls. Where the bricks were parged behind the kitchen cabinets, someone drew the symbol of the hammer and sickle into the concrete.

We know that the hammer and sickle appeared on the flag of the former Soviet Union and is known as a symbol of communism. According to Wikipedia "the two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat the peasantry; placing them together symbolizes the unity between industrial and agricultural workers."

Knowing that our house was built in 1941, we did a bit of research and learned about a World War II battle called Operation Barbarossa:

Germany adhered to their non-aggression pact with Russia for the first two years of WWII. Once the Nazis withdrew from the Battle of Britain, however, their attention turned to the East. At 04:00 hours, on June 22nd 1941, Adolf Hitler launched the greatest land-air attack in the history of war – Operation Barbarossa. The assault comprised of 3 million troops, 3,500 tanks, and 1,800 aircraft...

...This gruelling war of attrition ground on until July 1943, when Germany was finally beaten. Ambitious from the start, Operation Barbarossa’s failure marked a downturn for the Nazi’s fortunes. But Russia’s victory came at a massive price. Up to 28 million Russians perished during WWII - most of them during this brutal chapter.

What's the story behind this symbol in our house? Who knows? But, it's interesting to learn something new!