Mausoleum Mausoleum of Che Guevara
The complex was designed by the architects Jorge Cao Campos, Blanca Hernades and José Ramón Linares, together with the sculptors José de Lázaro Bencomo and José Dellara. The complex was built by five hundred thousand Cuban volunteers, in collaboration with experienced artisans.
The architecture of the complex reflects many aspects from the life of Che Guevara, containing a symbolic meaning. For example, a 7-meter bronze statue of Che on a 15-meter granite pedestal is oriented 190 degrees, indicating the place where Che Guevara died. The total height of the monument is 22 meters. Che Guevara is dressed in a worn leather jacket and holds a machine gun in his lowered hand. On the pedestal is the inscription "Hasta la victoria siempre". The monument is surrounded by bas-reliefs reproducing the glorious pages of the biography of the famous revolutionary. Che's words are carved on the left cubic stele: "One thing I learned in Guatemala under Arbenz is that if I become a revolutionary doctor, or just a revolutionary, first of all there must be a revolution." The large stele depicts Che with Fidel and Camilo Cienfuegos in the Sierra Maestra mountains. Another bas-relief shows Che as the minister of industry going about his usual work. Another part of the relief composition depicts teachers with students and pioneers saluting "We will be like Che." The elongated stele reproduces full text his farewell letter to Fidel Castro, with the finale dispersed later into songs: “Forward to victory! Homeland or Death!". . Nearby is the second cubic stele.
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 02.jpg
Statue of Che Guevara in full face,
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 03.jpg
in profile
Mausole Che 04.JPG
The inscription on the pedestal of the statue
Mausole Che 02.JPG
General form elongated stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 09.jpg
Picture of Che
Mausole Che 03.JPG
Che's letter to Fidel
Che's saying about Guatemala under Arbenz on a cubic stele
Che Guevara - Grab in Santa Clara, Cuba.jpg
large stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 10.jpg
Large stele on the side
Mausole Che 01.JPG
The inscription on the facade of a large stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 06.jpg
Fragments
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 07.jpg
facade design
The complex is a large square, on which there is a stele with a monument to Che Guevara, under it there is a mausoleum and a museum, opposite the monument there are large shields with quotes from Fidel Castro and the Che motto: “Always to victory!”.
Propaganda a Cuba 08.jpg
Left shield
Mausoleum of Che Guevara.jpg
Panorama from shields
Propaganda a Cuba 09.jpg
Right shield
The museum is a huge collection of photographs and historical documents of that time, personal belongings of the famous revolutionary, as well as Che's embalmed hands. Ernesto's farewell letter to Fidel Castro occupies a special place.
Nearby is another sculptural complex - "Attack on an armored train", dedicated to the episode of the battle for Santa Clarawhen Che Guevara used the tractors of the agricultural faculty of the local university to raise the railroad tracks. Due to this, the armored train that was taking troops from the Capiro hill derailed, and the officers who were in it asked for a truce. Both compositions are made by the famous Cuban artist José Dellara.
Tren del Che.JPG
Attack on an armored train
Trenblindado.jpg
One of the tractors used by Che Guevara
Tren blindado-Santa Clara (Cuba)-Che Guevara-Flikr-emeryjl-388610245 (CC-BY).jpg
Armored train of Batista troops
Tren Blindado memorial in Santa Clara (inside park).jpg
Artistic depiction of an armored train collision
The grand opening of the complex with the participation of Raul Castro took place on December 28, 1988.
burial
In November 1995, retired Bolivian General Mario Vargas, once a participant in the battles with the Che Guevara squad, a witness to the execution and burial, revealed the burial site of the Che group, under the airstrip near Vallegrande in Bolivia. The Cuban government turned to the President of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sanchez de Losada, with a request to excavate, and for two years, with the help of technology, archaeologists and anthropologists, they tore up the runways of the airfield that had expanded over 30 years. They broke ground buildings, dug blindly, but systematically and methodically, and after a year and a half they found several corpses, one of which had no hands. The examination confirmed that these are the remains of Che Guevara.
| Name | Nickname | A country | Cause, place and date of death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernesto Rafael Guevara Lynch de la Serna | Che, Ramon, Fernando | Cuba Cuba | |
| 2 | Carlos Coelho | Tuma | Cuba Cuba | died in action in Rio Pirae on June 26, 1967 |
| 3 | Alberto Fernandez Montes de Oca | Pacho | Cuba Cuba | |
| 4 | Orlando Pantoja Tamayo | Olo | Cuba Cuba | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 5 | Rene Martinez Tamayo | Arturo | Cuba Cuba | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Navarro-Levano Chang | El Chino | Peru Peru | captured and executed at La Higuera on October 9, 1967 |
| 7 | Simeon Cuba Sarabia | Willy | Bolivia Bolivia | captured and executed at La Higuera on October 9, 1967 |
| 8 | Heidi Tamara Bunke Bieder | Tanya | Argentina Argentina, GDR GDR | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 9 | Manuel Hernandez Osorio | Miguel | Cuba Cuba | |
| 10 | Mario Gutierrez Ardaya | Julio | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada de Batane on September 26, 1967 |
| 11 | Roberto Peredo Leige | Coco | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada de Batane on September 26, 1967 |
| 12 | Aniceto Reinaga Cordillo | Aniceto | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 13 | Francisco Juanza Flores | Pablito | Bolivia Bolivia | |
| 14 | Garvan Edilverto Lucio Hidalgo | Eustace | Peru Peru | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 15 | Jaime Arana Campero | Chapaco | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 16 | Octavio de la Concepción Pedraia | Moreau | Cuba Cuba | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 17 | Julio Cesar Mendez Cornet | NATO | Bolivia Bolivia | shot dead by guerrillas out of sympathy after being seriously wounded in Mataral on November 15, 1967 |
The third burial of 7 bodies took place on October 8, 1999:
| 18 | Apolinar Aguirre Quispe | Polo | Bolivia Bolivia | |
| 19 | Freddy Maimura Hurtado | Ernesto | Bolivia Bolivia | captured and executed in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 20 | Gustavo Manchin Hoed de Beche | Alejandro | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 21 | Israel Reyes Sayas | Braulio | Cuba Cuba | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 22 | Juan Vitalio Acuna Nunez | Joaquin | Cuba Cuba | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 23 | Moises Guevara Rodriguez | Moses | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 24 | Walter Arenzibia Ayala | Abel | Bolivia Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
The final burial of 6 bodies took place on October 8, 2000, resulting in total number buried partisans amounted to 30 people:
| 25 | Eliseo Reyes Rodriguez | Rolando | Cuba Cuba | died in action at El Maison on April 25, 1967 |
| 26 | Antonio Sanchez Diaz | Marcos | Cuba Cuba | killed in action in Peña Colorada on June 2, 1967 |
| 27 | Serapio Aquino Tudela | Serafin | Bolivia Bolivia | killed in action at Iguira on July 9, 1967 |
| 28 | Condori Casildo Varga | Victor | Bolivia Bolivia | |
| 29 | Jose Maria Martinez Tamayo | Papi | Cuba Cuba | killed in action at Rio Rosita on July 30, 1967 |
| 30 | Restituto José Cabrera Flores | El Negro | Peru Peru | captured and executed at Rio Palmarito on September 4, 1967 |
Questions about the buried remains
On March 24, 2007, the former US CIA agent, 71-year-old Gustavo Villoldo, spoke in the Miami Herald newspaper stating that the ashes of Che Guevara still rest in Bolivia, and not in the mausoleum. According to him, in 1967 he participated in a joint operation of the Bolivian secret services and the CIA to defeat the guerrilla group led by Che after he left Cuba "to continue the revolution in Latin America." Villoldo says "that he was not present at his death", but he was one of five CIA officers who were tasked with secretly burying the bodies of Che Guevara and two other guerrillas of his group in the vicinity of the Bolivian city of Vallegrande:
| It fell to me to pick up Che's body from the hospital morgue and deliver it to the burial place. Everything happened at night. We quickly dug a hole and put the dead partisans in it. But before I lowered Che into it, I cut off a lock of his hair. Then he carefully oriented himself on the map and marked the grave on it. So, when 30 years after these events, in 1997, I read that representatives of the Cuban government had transported the remains of Che to a specially erected mausoleum in Santa Clara, I realized that the Havana authorities either made a mistake or deliberately misled the world. |
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An excerpt characterizing the Mausoleum of Che Guevara
On June 13, at two o'clock in the morning, the sovereign, having called Balashev to him and read his letter to Napoleon to him, ordered him to take this letter and personally hand it over to the French emperor. Sending Balashev, the sovereign again repeated to him the words that he would not reconcile until at least one armed enemy remained on Russian soil, and ordered that these words be conveyed to Napoleon without fail. The sovereign did not write these words in the letter, because he felt with his tact that these words were inconvenient to convey at the moment when the last attempt at reconciliation was being made; but he certainly ordered Balashev to hand them over to Napoleon personally.Leaving on the night of June 13-14, Balashev, accompanied by a trumpeter and two Cossacks, arrived at dawn in the village of Rykonty, at the French outposts on this side of the Neman. He was stopped by French cavalry sentries.
A French hussar non-commissioned officer, in a crimson uniform and a shaggy hat, shouted at Balashev, who was approaching, ordering him to stop. Balashev did not immediately stop, but continued to move along the road at a pace.
The non-commissioned officer, frowning and muttering some kind of curse, advanced with his horse's chest on Balashev, took up his saber and rudely shouted at the Russian general, asking him: is he deaf that he does not hear what they say to him. Balashev named himself. The non-commissioned officer sent a soldier to the officer.
Paying no attention to Balashev, the non-commissioned officer began to talk with his comrades about his regimental affairs and did not look at the Russian general.
It was extraordinarily strange for Balashev, after being close to the highest power and might, after a conversation three hours ago with the sovereign and generally accustomed to honors in his service, to see here, on Russian soil, this hostile and, most importantly, disrespectful attitude of brute force towards himself.
The sun was just beginning to rise from behind the clouds; the air was fresh and dewy. On the way, the herd was driven out of the village. In the fields, one by one, like bubbles in water, the larks burst up with a chuckle.
Balashev looked around him, waiting for the arrival of an officer from the village. The Russian Cossacks, and the trumpeter, and the French hussars silently looked at each other from time to time.
A French hussar colonel, apparently just out of bed, rode out of the village on a handsome, well-fed gray horse, accompanied by two hussars. On the officer, on the soldiers and on their horses there was a look of contentment and panache.
This was the first time of the campaign, when the troops were still in good order, almost equal to a lookout, peaceful activity, only with a touch of elegant militancy in dress and with a moral touch of that fun and enterprise that always accompany the beginning of campaigns.
The French colonel could hardly hold back a yawn, but he was courteous and, apparently, understood the full significance of Balashev. He led him past his soldiers by the chain and informed him that his desire to be presented to the emperor would probably be immediately fulfilled, since the imperial apartment, as far as he knew, was not far away.
They passed the village of Rykonty, past the French hussar hitching posts, sentries and soldiers saluting their colonel and examining the Russian uniform with curiosity, and drove to the other side of the village. According to the colonel, the head of the division was two kilometers away, who would receive Balashev and escort him to his destination.
The sun had already risen and shone cheerfully on the bright greenery.
They had just left behind the tavern on the mountain, when a group of horsemen appeared to meet them from under the mountain, in front of which, on a black horse with a harness shining in the sun, rode a tall man in a hat with feathers and black hair curled to the shoulders, in a red mantle and with long legs bulging forward like the French ride. This man galloped towards Balashev, shining and fluttering in the bright June sun with his feathers, stones and gold galloons.
Balashev was already at a distance of two horses from the rider galloping towards him with a solemnly theatrical face in bracelets, feathers, necklaces and gold, when Yulner, a French colonel, respectfully whispered: "Le roi de Naples." [King of Naples.] Indeed, it was Murat, now called the Neapolitan king. Although it was completely incomprehensible why he was a Neapolitan king, he was called that, and he himself was convinced of this and therefore had a more solemn and important air than before. He was so sure that he was really the Neapolitan king that, on the eve of his departure from Naples, during his walk with his wife through the streets of Naples, several Italians shouted to him: “Viva il re!”, [Long live the king! (Italian)] he turned to his wife with a sad smile and said: “Les malheureux, ils ne savent pas que je les quitte demain! [Unfortunate, they don't know that I'm leaving them tomorrow!]
But despite the fact that he firmly believed that he was a Neapolitan king, and that he regretted the sorrow of his subjects who were leaving him, in recent times, after he was ordered to enter the service again, and especially after a meeting with Napoleon in Danzig, when the august brother-in-law said to him: “Je vous ai fait Roi pour regner a maniere, mais pas a la votre”, [I made you king in order to reign not according to my own, but according to mine.] - he cheerfully began for a business familiar to him and, like a horse that was fried, but not fat, fit for service, sensing himself in a harness, played in the shafts and, discharged as colorfully and expensively as possible, cheerful and contented, galloped, not knowing where and why, along the roads Poland.
Seeing the Russian general, he royally, solemnly, threw back his head with his hair curled to his shoulders and looked inquiringly at the French colonel. The colonel respectfully conveyed to His Majesty the meaning of Balashev, whose name he could not pronounce.
– De Bal macheve! - said the king (with his determination overcoming the difficulty presented to the colonel), - charme de faire votre connaissance, general, [it is very pleasant to meet you, general] - he added with a royally gracious gesture. As soon as the king began to speak loudly and quickly, all royal dignity instantly left him, and he, without noticing it himself, switched to his usual tone of good-natured familiarity. He put his hand on the withers of Balashev's horse.
- Eh, bien, general, tout est a la guerre, a ce qu "il parait, [Well, general, things seem to be going to war,] - he said, as if regretting a circumstance that he did not could judge.
- Sire, - answered Balashev. - l "Empereur mon maitre ne desire point la guerre, et comme Votre Majeste le voit," said Balashev, using Votre Majeste in all cases, [The Emperor of Russia does not want her, as your majesty please see ... your majesty.] with the inevitable an affectation of the increasing frequency of the title, referring to a person for whom this title is still news.
Murat's face shone with stupid contentment while he listened to monsieur de Balachoff. But royaute oblige: [royalty has its duties:] he felt the need to speak with Alexander's envoy about state affairs, as king and ally. He dismounted from his horse and, taking Balashev by the arm and moving a few steps away from the reverently waiting retinue, began to walk back and forth with him, trying to speak significantly. He mentioned that Emperor Napoleon was offended by the demands for the withdrawal of troops from Prussia, especially now that this demand had become known to everyone and that the dignity of France was offended by this. Balashev said that there was nothing offensive in this demand, because ... Murat interrupted him:
“So you don’t think Emperor Alexander was the instigator?” he said unexpectedly with a good-natured stupid smile.
Balashev said why he really believed that Napoleon was the instigator of the war.
- Eh, mon cher general, - Murat interrupted him again, - je desire de tout mon c?ur que les Empereurs s "arrangent entre eux, et que la guerre commencee malgre moi se termine le plutot possible, [Ah, my dear general, I wish with all my heart that the emperors end the matter between themselves and that the war started against my will end as soon as possible.] - he said in the tone of conversation of the servants who wish to remain good friends, despite the quarrel between the masters. And he went on to questions about the Grand Duke, about his health and about the memories of the fun and amusing time spent with him in Naples.Then, as if suddenly remembering his royal dignity, Murat solemnly straightened up, took the same position in which he had stood at the coronation, and , waving his right hand, said: - Je ne vous retiens plus, general; je souhaite le succes de vorte mission, [I do not detain you anymore, general; I wish success to your embassy,] - and, fluttering with a red embroidered mantle and feathers and shining jewels, he went to the retinue, respectfully waiting for him.
Balashev rode on, according to Murat, expecting to be presented to Napoleon himself very soon. But instead of an early meeting with Napoleon, sentries of the Davout infantry corps again detained him at the next village, as well as in the forward chain, and the adjutant of the corps commander called him to the village to Marshal Davout.
Davout was Arakcheev of Emperor Napoleon - Arakcheev is not a coward, but just as serviceable, cruel and incapable of expressing his devotion except by cruelty.
The mechanism of the state organism needs these people, just as wolves are needed in the organism of nature, and they always exist, always appear and hold on, no matter how incongruous their presence and proximity to the head of government may seem. Only this necessity can explain how the cruel, who personally tore out the mustaches of the grenadiers and who could not endure the danger due to weakness of the nerve, the uneducated, uncourt Arakcheev, could hold on to such strength with the chivalrous noble and gentle character of Alexander.
Balashev found Marshal Davout in the barn of a peasant's hut, sitting on a barrel and busy with written work (he checked the scores). The adjutant stood beside him. It was possible to find a better place, but Marshal Davout was one of those people who deliberately put themselves in the most gloomy conditions of life in order to have the right to be gloomy. For the same reason they are always hastily and stubbornly busy. "Where is there to think about the happy side human life when, you see, I am sitting on a barrel in a dirty shed and working, ”the expression on his face said. The main pleasure and need of these people is that, having met the revival of life, to throw this revival into the eyes of my gloomy, stubborn activity. Davout gave himself this pleasure when Balashev was brought in. He went even deeper into his work when the Russian general entered, and, looking through his glasses at the lively face of Balashev, impressed by the beautiful morning and the conversation with Murat, did not get up, did not even move, but frowned even more and grinned maliciously.
Noticing the unpleasant impression made by this technique on Balashev's face, Davout raised his head and coldly asked what he needed.
Assuming that such a reception could be made to him only because Davout did not know that he was the adjutant general of Emperor Alexander and even his representative before Napoleon, Balashev hastened to announce his rank and appointment. Contrary to his expectations, Davout, after listening to Balashev, became even more severe and rude.
- Where is your package? - he said. - Donnez le moi, ije l "enverrai a l" Empereur. [Give it to me, I will send it to the emperor.]
Balashev said that he had an order to personally deliver the package to the emperor himself.
“The orders of your emperor are carried out in your army, but here,” Davout said, “you must do what you are told.
And as if to make the Russian general even more aware of his dependence on brute force, Davout sent an adjutant for the duty officer.
Balashev took out a package that concluded the letter of the sovereign, and put it on the table (a table consisting of a door on which torn-off hinges stuck out, laid on two barrels). Davout took the envelope and read the inscription.
“You have every right to respect me or not,” said Balashev. “But let me tell you that I have the honor of holding the rank of Adjutant General of His Majesty…”
Davout looked at him in silence, and some excitement and embarrassment, expressed on Balashev's face, apparently gave him pleasure.
“You will be given your due,” he said, and putting the envelope in his pocket, he left the shed.
A minute later, the adjutant of the marshal, Mr. de Castres, entered and led Balashev into the room prepared for him.
Balashev dined that day with the marshal in the same shed, on the same board on barrels.
The next day, Davout left early in the morning and, having invited Balashev to his place, told him impressively that he asked him to stay here, to move along with the luggage, if they had orders to do so, and not to talk to anyone except Monsieur de Castro.
After four days of solitude, boredom, a consciousness of subservience and insignificance, especially palpable after the environment of power in which he had so recently found himself, after several crossings together with the marshal's luggage, with French troops occupying the entire area, Balashev was brought to Vilna, now occupied by the French , to the same outpost on which he left four days ago.
The next day, the imperial chamberlain, monsieur de Turenne, came to Balashev and conveyed to him the desire of Emperor Napoleon to honor him with an audience.
Four days ago, guards from the Preobrazhensky Regiment stood at the house to which Balashev was brought, but now there were two French grenadiers in blue uniforms open on their chests and in shaggy hats, a convoy of hussars and lancers and a brilliant retinue of adjutants, pages and generals, waiting for the exit Napoleon around the riding horse standing at the porch and his mameluke Rustav. Napoleon received Balashev in the same house in Vilva from which Alexander sent him.
Despite Balashev's habit of court solemnity, the luxury and splendor of the court of Emperor Napoleon struck him.
Count Turen led him into a large waiting room, where many generals, chamberlains and Polish magnates were waiting, many of whom Balashev had seen at the court of the Russian emperor. Duroc said that Emperor Napoleon would receive the Russian general before his walk.
After a few minutes of waiting, the chamberlain on duty went out into the large reception room and, bowing politely to Balashev, invited him to follow him.
Balashev entered a small reception room, from which there was one door leading to an office, the same office from which the Russian emperor sent him. Balashev stood for one minute or two, waiting. Hasty footsteps sounded outside the door. Both halves of the door quickly opened, the chamberlain who had opened it respectfully stopped, waiting, everything was quiet, and other, firm, resolute steps sounded from the office: it was Napoleon. He has just finished his riding toilet. He was in a blue uniform, open over a white waistcoat, descending on a round stomach, in white leggings, tight-fitting fat thighs of short legs, and in over the knee boots. His short hair, obviously, had just been combed, but one strand of hair went down over the middle of his wide forehead. His plump white neck protruded sharply from behind the black collar of his uniform; he smelled of cologne. On youthful full face his protruding chin was an expression of gracious and majestic imperial salutation.
| Memorial Complex | |
Mausoleum of Che Guevara |
|
| 320px | |
| A country | Cuba |
| City | Santa Clara |
| confession | |
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| Construction | - years |
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| 12px [[:commons:Category: Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#property" was not found. |Mausoleum of Che Guevara]] at Wikimedia Commons | |
Architecture
Work on the construction of the complex began in 1982 . The construction was planned taking into account the advantageous location of the complex on a hill, overlooking the city of Santa Clara, moreover, it was here, 270 km east of Havana, that Comandante Che won his loudest victory: the battle for Santa Clara was the last and decisive battle Cuban Revolution.
The complex was designed by the architects Jorge Cao Campos, Blanca Hernades and José Ramón Linares, together with the sculptors José de Lázaro Bencomo and José Dellara. The complex was built by five hundred thousand Cuban volunteers, in collaboration with experienced artisans.
The architecture of the complex reflects many aspects from the life of Che Guevara, containing a symbolic meaning. For example, a 7-meter bronze statue of Che on a 15-meter granite pedestal is oriented 190 degrees, indicating the place where Che Guevara died. The total height of the monument is 22 meters. Che Guevara is dressed in a worn leather jacket and holds a machine gun in his lowered hand. On the pedestal is the inscription "Hasta la victoria siempre". The monument is surrounded by bas-reliefs reproducing the glorious pages of the biography of the famous revolutionary. Che's words are carved on the left cubic stele: "One thing I learned in Guatemala under Arbenz is that if I become a revolutionary doctor, or just a revolutionary, first of all there must be a revolution." The large stele depicts Che with Fidel and Camilo Cienfuegos in the Sierra Maestra mountains. Another bas-relief shows Che as the minister of industry going about his usual work. Another part of the relief composition depicts teachers with students and pioneers saluting "We will be like Che." The elongated stele reproduces the full text of his farewell letter to Fidel Castro, with the finale dispersed later into songs: “Forward to victory! Homeland or Death!". . Nearby is the second cubic stele.
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 02.jpg
Statue of Che Guevara in full face,
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 03.jpg
in profile
Mausole Che 04.JPG
The inscription on the pedestal of the statue
Mausole Che 02.JPG
General view of the elongated stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 09.jpg
Picture of Che
Mausole Che 03.JPG
Che's letter to Fidel
Che's saying about Guatemala under Arbenz on a cubic stele
Che Guevara - Grab in Santa Clara, Cuba.jpg
large stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 10.jpg
Large stele on the side
Mausole Che 01.JPG
The inscription on the facade of a large stele
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 06.jpg
Fragments
Che Guevara's Mausoleum 07.jpg
facade design
The complex is a large square, on which there is a stele with a monument to Che Guevara, under it there is a mausoleum and a museum, opposite the monument there are large shields with quotes from Fidel Castro and the Che motto: “Always to victory!”.
Propaganda a Cuba 08.jpg
Left shield
Mausoleum of Che Guevara.jpg
Panorama from shields
Propaganda a Cuba 09.jpg
Right shield
The museum is a huge collection of photographs and historical documents of that time, personal belongings of the famous revolutionary, as well as Che's embalmed hands. Ernesto's farewell letter to Fidel Castro occupies a special place.
Nearby is another sculptural complex - "Attack on an armored train", dedicated to the episode of the battle for Santa Clarawhen Che Guevara used the tractors of the agricultural faculty of the local university to raise the railroad tracks. Due to this, the armored train that was taking troops from the Capiro hill derailed, and the officers who were in it asked for a truce. Both compositions are made by the famous Cuban artist José Dellara.
Tren del Che.JPG
Attack on an armored train
Trenblindado.jpg
One of the tractors used by Che Guevara
Tren blindado-Santa Clara (Cuba)-Che Guevara-Flikr-emeryjl-388610245 (CC-BY).jpg
Armored train of Batista troops
Tren Blindado memorial in Santa Clara (inside park).jpg
Artistic depiction of an armored train collision
The grand opening of the complex with the participation of Raul Castro took place on December 28, 1988.
burial
| Name | Nickname | A country | Cause, place and date of death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernesto Rafael Guevara Lynch de la Serna | Che, Ramon, Fernando | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | |
| 2 | Carlos Coelho | Tuma | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action in Rio Pirae on June 26, 1967 |
| 3 | Alberto Fernandez Montes de Oca | Pacho | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | |
| 4 | Orlando Pantoja Tamayo | Olo | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 5 | Rene Martinez Tamayo | Arturo | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Navarro-Levano Chang | El Chino | Peru 22x20px Peru | captured and executed at La Higuera on October 9, 1967 |
| 7 | Simeon Cuba Sarabia | Willy | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | captured and executed at La Higuera on October 9, 1967 |
| 8 | Heidi Tamara Bunke Bieder | Tanya | Argentina 22x20px Argentina, East Germany 22x20px GDR | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 9 | Manuel Hernandez Osorio | Miguel | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | |
| 10 | Mario Gutierrez Ardaya | Julio | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada de Batane on September 26, 1967 |
| 11 | Roberto Peredo Leige | Coco | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada de Batane on September 26, 1967 |
| 12 | Aniceto Reinaga Cordillo | Aniceto | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action at Quebrada del Yuro on October 8, 1967 |
| 13 | Francisco Juanza Flores | Pablito | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | |
| 14 | Garvan Edilverto Lucio Hidalgo | Eustace | Peru 22x20px Peru | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 15 | Jaime Arana Campero | Chapaco | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 16 | Octavio de la Concepción Pedraia | Moreau | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action at Los Cajones on October 12, 1967 |
| 17 | Julio Cesar Mendez Cornet | NATO | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | shot dead by guerrillas out of sympathy after being seriously wounded in Mataral on November 15, 1967 |
The third burial of 7 bodies took place on October 8, 1999:
| 18 | Apolinar Aguirre Quispe | Polo | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | |
| 19 | Freddy Maimura Hurtado | Ernesto | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | captured and executed in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 20 | Gustavo Manchin Hoed de Beche | Alejandro | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 21 | Israel Reyes Sayas | Braulio | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 22 | Juan Vitalio Acuna Nunez | Joaquin | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 23 | Moises Guevara Rodriguez | Moses | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
| 24 | Walter Arenzibia Ayala | Abel | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | died in action in Vado del Esso on August 31, 1967 |
The final burial of 6 bodies took place on October 8, 2000, as a result of which the total number of buried partisans amounted to 30 people:
| 25 | Eliseo Reyes Rodriguez | Rolando | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | died in action at El Maison on April 25, 1967 |
| 26 | Antonio Sanchez Diaz | Marcos | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | killed in action in Peña Colorada on June 2, 1967 |
| 27 | Serapio Aquino Tudela | Serafin | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | killed in action at Iguira on July 9, 1967 |
| 28 | Condori Casildo Varga | Victor | Bolivia 22x20px Bolivia | |
| 29 | Jose Maria Martinez Tamayo | Papi | Cuba 22x20px Cuba | killed in action at Rio Rosita on July 30, 1967 |
| 30 | Restituto José Cabrera Flores | El Negro | Peru 22x20px Peru | captured and executed at Rio Palmarito on September 4, 1967 |
Questions about the buried remains
On March 24, 2007, the former US CIA agent, 71-year-old Gustavo Villoldo, spoke in the Miami Herald newspaper stating that the ashes of Che Guevara still rest in Bolivia, and not in the mausoleum. According to him, in 1967 he participated in a joint operation of the Bolivian secret services and the CIA to defeat the guerrilla group led by Che after he left Cuba "to continue the revolution in Latin America." Villoldo says "that he was not present at his death", but he was one of five CIA officers who were tasked with secretly burying the bodies of Che Guevara and two other guerrillas of his group in the vicinity of the Bolivian city of Vallegrande:
In 1997, the body of Che Guevara was identified among the remains of seven people, and then re-analyzed at a local hospital. However, according to Villoldo, “this cannot be. The dead are not allowed to multiply - in the mass grave, where Che still rests, besides him, there should be the remains of only two people, but not six. In addition, we buried him in a completely different place, where neither the airfield nor the runway was even close. The burial place marked on my map absolutely does not coincide with the coordinates of the modern Vallegrande airport. In any case, a strand of Che's hair is still with me and I insist on conducting a DNA examination and comparing the results with those of the one who is now buried in the Santa Clara mausoleum. And as the former CIA agent emphasized, he came out with his exposure "not for the sake of money, but in the name of truth."Write a review on the article "Che Guevara's Mausoleum"
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An excerpt characterizing the Mausoleum of Che Guevara
I didn’t even have time to figure out how I managed to cause such a storm (after all, not a single word had been uttered yet!), When I immediately heard his strange hoarse voice:– Are you interested in books, Madonna Isidora?..
"Madonna" in Italy was the name given to women and girls when they were treated with respect.
My soul went cold - he knew my name ... But why? Why was I interested in this creepy person?!. My head was spinning from the intense tension. It seemed that someone was squeezing the brain with an iron vice ... And then suddenly I realized - Karaffa !!! It was he who mentally tried to break me! .. But why?
I looked straight into his eyes again - thousands of bonfires blazed in them, carrying innocent souls into the sky ...
– What books interest you, Madonna Isidora? His low voice sounded again.
"Oh, I'm sure not what you're looking for, Your Eminence," I replied calmly.
My soul ached and fluttered in fright, like a caught bird, but I knew for sure that it was impossible to show it to him. It was necessary, no matter what it cost, to keep as calm as possible and try, if possible, to get rid of him as quickly as possible. There were rumors in the city that the "crazy cardinal" stubbornly hunted down his intended victims, who later disappeared without a trace, and no one in the world knew where and how to find them, and whether they were alive at all.
- I have heard so much about your refined taste, Madonna Isidora! Venice only speaks about you! Will you do me such an honor, will you share with me your new acquisition?
Caraffa smiled ... And this smile made my blood run cold and I wanted to run wherever my eyes looked, if only I would never see this insidious, refined face again! He was a real predator by nature, and right now he was on the hunt ... I felt it with every cell of my body, every fiber of my soul frozen in horror. I have never been cowardly ... But I had heard too much about this terrible man, and I knew that nothing would stop him if he decided that he wanted to get me in his tenacious paws. He swept away any obstacles when it came to "heretics." And even the kings were afraid of him... To some extent, I even respected him...
Isidora smiled when she saw our frightened faces.
Yes, I did. But it was a different respect than what you thought. I respected his perseverance, his indestructible faith in his "good deed". He was obsessed with what he did, not like most of his followers, who just robbed, raped and enjoyed life. Caraffa never took anything and never raped anyone. Women, as such, did not exist for him at all. He was a "warrior of Christ" from beginning to end, and until his last breath ... True, he never understood that, in everything that he did on Earth, he was absolutely and completely wrong, that it was terrible and an unforgivable crime. He died like that, sincerely believing in his "good deed" ...
And now, this fanatical person in his delusion was clearly determined to get my “sinful” soul for some reason ...
While I was feverishly trying to come up with something, they unexpectedly came to my aid ... My old acquaintance, almost friend, Francesco, from whom I had just bought books, suddenly turned to me in an annoyed tone, as if losing patience from my indecision:
– Madonna Isidora, have you finally decided what suits you? My clients are waiting for me and I can't spend my whole day just for you! As much as I enjoyed it.
I stared at him in surprise, but to my happiness, I immediately caught his risky thought - he suggested that I get rid of the dangerous books that I was holding in my hands at that moment! Books were Caraffa's favorite "horse", and it was for them, most often, that the smartest people catered to the nets that this crazy inquisitor set up for them ...
I immediately left most of it on the counter, to which Francesco immediately expressed "wild displeasure." Caraffa watched. I immediately felt how much this simple, naive game amused him. He understood everything perfectly, and if he wanted to, he could calmly arrest both me and my poor risky friend. But for some reason he didn’t want to ... It seemed that he sincerely enjoyed my helplessness, like a contented cat clutching a caught mouse in a corner ...
- Permission to leave you, Your Eminence? – not even hoping for a positive answer, I cautiously asked.
– To my great regret, Madonna Isidora! exclaimed the cardinal, with feigned disappointment. "Will you allow me to visit you sometime?" They say you are very gifted daughter? I would love to meet and talk with her. I hope she's as beautiful as her mother...
“My daughter, Anna, is only ten years old, my lord,” I replied as calmly as possible.
And my soul screamed from animal horror! .. He knew everything about me! .. Why, well, why did crazy Karaffa need me? .. Why was he interested in my little Anna ?!
Is it because I was reputed to be the famous Vidunya, and he considered me his worst enemy? .. After all, it didn’t matter to him what they called me, for the “Grand Inquisitor” I was just a witch, and he burned witches at the stake .. .
I strongly and wholeheartedly loved Life! And I, like every normal person, really wanted it to last as long as possible. After all, even the most notorious scoundrel, who may have taken the lives of others, cherishes every minute lived, every day lived of his precious life for him! .. But it was at that moment that I suddenly realized very clearly that it was he, Karaffa, and will take her away, my short and such a valuable, unlived life for me...
– great spirit born in a small body, the Madonna of Isidora. Even holy Jesus was once a child. I will be very glad to visit you! - and bowing gracefully, Caraffa left.
The world was collapsing... It crumbled into small pieces, each of which reflected a predatory, thin, intelligent face....
I tried to somehow calm down and not panic, but for some reason it did not work. This time my usual self-confidence and in my abilities let me down, and this made it even more terrible. The day was as sunny and bright as just a few minutes ago, but darkness settled in my soul. As it turned out, I had been waiting for the appearance of this man for a long time. And all my nightmarish visions about fires were only a premonition... to today's meeting with him.
Returning home, I immediately persuaded my husband to take little Anna and take her somewhere far away, where the evil tentacles of Karaffa could not get her. And she herself began to prepare for the worst, because she knew for sure that his arrival would not be long in coming. And I wasn't wrong...
A few days later, my beloved black maid Kay (at that time it was very fashionable to have black servants in rich houses) reported that "His Eminence, the Cardinal, is waiting for me in the pink drawing room." And I felt that something was going to happen right now...
I was wearing a light yellow silk dress and I knew that this color suits me very well. But if there was one only person in the world in front of which I did not want to look attractive, it was certainly Caraffa. But there was no time left for changing clothes, and I had to go out just like that.
He was waiting, calmly leaning back in his chair, studying some old manuscript, of which there were a myriad of in our house. I put on a pleasant smile and went down to the living room. Seeing me, Caraffa for some reason froze without uttering a word. The silence dragged on, and it seemed to me that the cardinal was about to hear my frightened heart beating treacherously loudly ... But then, finally, his enthusiastic voice was heard, hoarse voice:
- You are amazing, Madonna Isidora! Even this sunny morning loses next to you!
“I never thought cardinals were allowed to compliment ladies!” - with the greatest effort, continuing to smile, I squeezed out.
- Cardinals are people too, Madonna, and they know how to distinguish beauty from simplicity ... And where is your wonderful daughter? Will I be able to enjoy double beauty today?
“She is not in Venice, Your Eminence. She and her father went to Florence to visit her sick cousin.
- As far as I know, there are no patients in your family at the moment. Who fell ill so suddenly, Madonna Isidora? There was an undisguised threat in his voice...
Caraffa began to play openly. And I had no choice but to meet the danger face to face ...
“What do you want from me, Your Eminence?” Wouldn't it be easier to say it directly, saving us both from this unnecessary, cheap game? We are enough smart people so that, even with a difference of views, they can respect each other.
My legs were trembling with horror, but for some reason Karaffa did not notice this. He glared at my face with burning eyes, not answering and not noticing anything around. I could not understand what was happening, and all this dangerous comedy frightened me more and more ... But then something completely unforeseen happened, something completely beyond the usual framework ... Caraffa came very close to me, everything in the same way, without taking his burning eyes off, and almost without breathing, he whispered:
– You cannot be from God... You are too beautiful! You are a witch!!! A woman has no right to be so beautiful! You are from the Devil!
And turning around, he rushed out of the house without looking back, as if Satan himself was chasing him ... I stood in complete shock, still expecting to hear his steps, but nothing happened. Gradually coming to my senses, and finally managing to relax my stiff body, I took a deep breath and... lost consciousness. I woke up in bed, drinking hot wine from the hands of my sweet maid Kei. But then, remembering what had happened, she jumped to her feet and began to rush around the room, not really understanding what to do ... Time passed, and I had to do something, think of something in order to somehow protect myself and his family from this bipedal monster. I knew for sure that now every game was over, that the war had begun. But our forces, to my great regret, were very, very unequal... Naturally, I could defeat him in my own way... I could even just stop his bloodthirsty heart. And all these horrors would immediately end. But the fact is that, even at thirty-six, I was still too pure and kind to kill ... I never took life, on the contrary - very often gave it back. And even this scary person, what was Caraffa, yet she could not execute ...
The next morning there was a loud knock on the door. My heart has stopped. I knew it was the Inquisition... They took me away, accusing me of "verbiage and witchcraft, intoxicating honest citizens with false predictions and heresy"... That was the end.
The room in which I was settled was very damp and dark, but for some reason it seemed to me that I would not stay in it for a long time. Caraffa came at noon...
– Oh, I beg your pardon, Madonna Isidora, you were given someone else's room. It's not for you, of course.
"What's the point of all this play, monsignor?" - proudly (as it seemed to me) throwing up my head, I asked. “I would rather just tell the truth, and I would like to know what they are really accusing me of. My family, as you know, is very respected and loved in Venice, and it would be better for you if the accusations were true.
Caraffa never found out how much effort it took me to look proud then! .. I knew perfectly well that hardly anyone or anything could help me. But I couldn't let him see my fear. And so she continued, trying to get him out of that calmly ironic state, which apparently was his kind of protection. And which I couldn't stand at all.
“Will you deign to tell me what my fault is, or will you leave this pleasure to your faithful “vassals” ?!.
“I do not advise you to boil, Madonna Isidora,” Caraffa said calmly. - As far as I know, all your beloved Venice knows that you are a Witch. And besides, the strongest that ever lived. You didn't hide it, did you?
Suddenly, I was completely calm. Yes, it was true - I never hid my abilities ... I was proud of them, like my mother. So now, in front of this crazy fanatic, I will betray my soul and renounce who I am ?!.
“You are right, Your Eminence, I am a Witch. But I'm not from the Devil, nor from God. I am free in my soul, I KNOW... And you will never be able to take that away from me. You can only kill me. But even then I will remain who I am ... Only, in that case, you will never see me again ...
I blindly delivered a weak blow ... There was no certainty that it would work. But Caraffa suddenly turned pale, and I realized that I was right. No matter how much this unpredictable man hated the female half, he had a strange and dangerous feeling for me, which I still could not pinpoint. But the main thing - it was! And that was the only thing that mattered so far. And it was possible to figure it out later if Karaff could now “catch” this simple female bait ... But I didn’t know then how strong the will of this unusual person was ... The confusion disappeared as quickly as it came. Before me again stood the cold and calm cardinal.
“It would be a huge loss for anyone who appreciates beauty, Madonna. But too great beauty is dangerous because it destroys pure souls. And yours will definitely not leave anyone indifferent, so it would be better if it simply ceases to exist ...
Caraffa left. And my hair stood on end - so strong he instilled horror in my tired lonely soul ... I was alone. All my loved ones and relatives were somewhere on the other side of these stone walls, and I was by no means sure that I would ever see them again ... My dearly beloved little Anna huddled in Florence near the Medici, and I really hoped that Caraffa did not know where and with whom she was. My husband, who adored me, was with her at my request and did not know that I was captured. I didn't have any hope. I was truly all alone.
Since that ill-fated day, endless trials began against the famous “Venetian Witch”, that is, over me ... But Venice was a truly free city and did not allow her children to be destroyed so easily. The Inquisition was hated by everyone, and Caraffe had to reckon with this. Therefore, I was judged by the “supreme tribunal of the Inquisition”, which accused me of all possible vices, most of which I had never even heard of. The only light that happened during all this nightmarish time was the unexpected and very strong support of friends, which forced Caraffa to be much more careful in his accusations, but this did not help me escape from his dangerous clutches.
This part of the story about a two-week stay in Cuba will be very short. We headed to the south of the island to see the cities of Trinidad ( Trinidad) and Cienfuegos ( Cienfuegos), and on the way stop by Santa Clara ( Santa Clara), where the mausoleum of Che Guevara is located. I don’t want to combine the story about this memorial complex with the beginning of a walk around Trinidad, so I’ll separate it into a separate post, which will contain only 10 photos.
The middle part of Cuba, south of the province of Matanzas and up to the northern spurs of the Sierra del Escambray massif, is flat and inexpressive. Along the rare paved roads, there are mainly fruit and tobacco plantations, but most often - overgrown with grass and rare palm trees. There is nothing to catch the eye, beautiful groves of royal palms, as along the Varadero - Havana highway, you will not find here. Asphalt, however, is of quite acceptable quality. Traffic - one car in half an hour, and even that turns out to be a tourist bus.
Somewhere at the entrance to Santa Clara, not far from the collective farm that was going to conquer America with a record harvest of oranges, next to another tourist trap (water for 3 cookies, souvenirs and the opportunity to take pictures with exotic animals) parked another chrome miracle mobile. Multiple stencil prints are designed to reveal to us the rich inner world happy car owner.
Santa Clara, the administrative center of the province of Villa Clara, was founded in 1689 by settlers from the coastal town of San Juan de los Remedios ( San Juan de los Remedios), who fled inland from the constant attacks of pirates. For several centuries, the settlement has changed several names, the most amusing of which was "The New Village of Anton Dias" - Pueblo Nuevo de Anton Diaz. Little known before, the city entered world history thanks to the last major battle Cuban revolution - the battle for Santa Clara, and since October 1997, when the ashes were brought here Comandante Guevara, has become a place of worship for representatives of the left movement around the world.
In the city itself, there is, in general, nothing to look at, and this is readily confirmed locals. By and large, there are only two significant attractions. In addition to the main mausoleum of Che, a bulldozer was also installed on the opposite outskirts of Santa Clara, with the help of which partisans under the command of a frantic Argentine demolished a freight train in a hurry to deliver ammunition to Batista's troops defending the city. The same small part of the city that we managed to see resembled the usual "sleeping" areas of large Russian cities, adjusted for Cuban desolation. In general, our stay in the capital of the province of the same name was limited only to visiting the cult memorial.
Aprendimos a quererte
desde la historica altura
Donde el Sol de tu bravura
le puso cerco a la muerte.*
Aqui se queda la clara,
la entrañable transparencia,
de tu querida presencia,
Comandante Che Guevara.
About the commandant (major) of the revolutionary armed forces of the Republic of Cuba, Argentine Ernesto "Che" Guevara ( Ernesto "Che" Guevara, 1928-67) know almost everything. At least the official version of his biography, more like a legend. All this is long and tedious, but the two-part film "Che" tells in some detail and in detail ( Che , 2008, dir. Steven Soderbergh). In his youth, having traveled on a motorcycle a decent part of South and Central America, he picked up Marxist ideas, met the exiled Fidel, returned with him to Cuba to participate in the revolution, becoming one of its leaders. After victory fidelistas Guevara unsuccessfully tried to "export the revolution" to the Congo (1965) and Bolivia (1966), where he was eventually captured, shot and rolled into the concrete of the runway. However, in modern reality, Che is better known for a stylized print from a photograph of Alberto Korda, which can be found on the T-shirt of a drug addict beggar, an ideological communist, an owner of a small or medium-sized business, and an ordinary club girl from Murmansk in Russia to Sydney in Australia.
Work on the construction of the memorial was carried out from 1982 to 1988. In addition to specialists, architects and sculptors, up to half a million residents of Santa Clara took part in the creation of this place of worship, which is especially emphasized by the Cuban authorities. Interestingly, the official opening ceremony of the monument was led by Raul Castro, Fidel's brother, and the leader of the Island of Freedom himself did not come.
Tu mano gloriosa y fuerte
sobre la historia dispara
cuando todo Santa Clara
se despierta para verte.
The search for the burial sites of Guevara and his associates in the Bolivian campaign was carried out for many years by several groups of Cuban anthropologists under a special agreement with the government of Bolivia. In 1997, finally, it was possible to unambiguously identify and transport to Cuba the remains of Che himself and six of his associates. On October 17, 1997, they were buried with full military honors in the wall of the memorial. The mourning ceremony was attended by the government of the republic in full force, headed by Fidel Castro. Between 1997 and 2002, the remains of 23 more Cuban guerrillas were identified and brought to Cuba. The hall, in the wall of which the urns with the ashes of the revolutionaries are walled up, is located on the lower level of the complex. A quiet guitar melody sounds in it and twilight reigns, and only at the far wall, where the Eternal flame, dense tropical vegetation parted over a stylized guerrilla trail fading into darkness. This installation, in contrast to the full official pathos of the Che Guevara Museum, which occupies most of memorial complex, really "takes the soul."
Vienes quemando la brisa
con soles de primavera
para plantar la bandera
con la luz de tu sonrisa.
At that moment, when we were at the memorial complex, there were already a lot of young people here. As far as I understood, they were graduates of the Medical University of Havana, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans. In the photo below - a bas-relief depicting a column of partisans in the Sierra Maestro mountains. The medical students in the foreground do not dance, but pass each other a "soapbox".
Tu amor revolutionario
te conduce a nueva empresa
donde esperan la firmeza
de tu brazo libertario.
The heroic Comandante goes into battle despite a broken arm. As conceived by the sculptors José Dellara ( Jose Delarra) and Jose de Lazaro Bencomo ( Jose de Lazaro Bencomo), Che Guevara's gaze is directed to the south, to the side South America, which symbolizes the coming embodiment of his dream of her as a united socialist continent. Well, as everywhere in the neighborhood with Che's portraits, his famous slogan "To the bitter end!" is carved on the pedestal.
seguiremos adelante,
como junto a ti seguimos,
y con Fidel te decimos:
"¡Hasta siempre, Comandante!"
Myself memorial museum Che Guevara, in truth, is nothing special. There are mostly wall-to-wall photographs and copies of documents under glass. Also exhibited are many small arms from the time of the revolution and personal belongings of Che's closest associates. But, most often, the exhibits are signed in the following manner: "Thompson assault rifle, model M1928A1. Production - USA. Same ( sic! ) the machine in the fall of 1958 belonged to partisan Sebastian "Negoro" Pereira during a meeting with Ernesto "Che" Guevara". That is, real relics, the former owner of which really was one or another figure from the recent Cuban history, here - one, two and miscalculated. The same fully applies to Che's few personal belongings, including the Colt M1911 and the M1 carbine, with which he is depicted in sculptural form. Most of the documents, with the possible exception of an unexpectedly touching letter from a very small Ernesto to his beloved aunt, are also copies, although the captions to them state the opposite.
Aqui se queda la clara,
la entrañable transparencia,
de tu querida presencia,
Comandante Che Guevara.
On the concrete top of the hill it is about 30ºC, and the humidity tends to reach 100% thanks to occasional heavy rains. Not surprisingly, the cops tending the memorial crouched under the palm trees. The house, the roof of which barely peeks out from behind the trees in the background, is the only building in Santa Clara that sneaked into my photo report on the sly.
Hall with eternal flame - good example how to create the most sincere and minimally pretentious memorial halls. The Che Guevara Museum will be of interest only to lovers of the history of small arms (after all, you don’t often see an almost complete line of American weapons from the Second World War in our realities!). Thus, I cannot recommend the Che Guevara memorial for a mandatory visit.
* This part of the story about the trip to Cuba uses the lyrics of Carlos Puebla's song "Hasta Siempre, Comandante".
Further:
Che Guevara
Since the death of the famous revolutionary and politician Many years passed by Che Guevara - he was executed on October 9, 1967. During this time, countless secrets related to his personality were revealed. And one of them - where exactly is located Che Guevara's grave. Read below about how this happened. We also have unique photo of Che Guevara's grave.
Where is Che Guevara buried?
Back in 1995, one of the generals who opposed Che Guevara broke his vow of silence: according to him, Ernesto and his several brothers in arms are buried near Vallegrande, in Bolivia. To be more precise, at the local airfield. It was there, according to Mario Vargas, that the commandant was taken after the execution by order of the CIA without trial or investigation.
After the publication of this, without exaggeration, sensational news, excavations began in order to return the remains of the bodies of the partisans to their relatives. The President of Bolivia did not doubt this decision for a second. However, it turned out to be difficult to carry out the plan.
The fact is that at that moment from the day Funeral of Che Guevara more than 25 years have passed and it is not at all surprising that during this time the local airfield has undergone some changes. In particular, it was expanded and new buildings appeared on it.
In addition, specialists did not have information about the exact location of the grave of the person we are considering. And this despite the fact that at that time there were still people alive who participated in the ceremony. According to them, they do not remember where Che Guevara is buried. Whether this was actually the case, or they simply did not want to reveal the secret, we can only guess.
Unsuccessful attempts continued for about a year and a half. Some military even suggested that the Comandante was not buried, but cremated. In fairness to note, this theory did not arise from scratch, since at first it was really planned to follow this path. But experts refuted these guesses due to the fact that in Bolivia at that time they were very skeptical about cremation and it would be simply impossible to “turn this case” without attracting the attention of the general public.
And now, fortunately, Gustavo Villoldo showed up - the man who personally buried Che Guevara. According to him, of course. At one time he was a CIA agent, so experts believed him. He completely refuted the theory of the cremation of Che Guevara, and also pointed to feature corpse of the commandant - the absence of hands, which he lost in a matter of seconds after his death.
Thanks to the coordinated actions of the people who participated in the excavations, in 1997 it was possible to discover the burial of several people, one of whom, however, does not have hands. The remains of the legendary leader of the revolution and his comrades were sent to their second homeland - Cuba.
Currently, the grave of Che Guevara is a mausoleum with his name, where not only his remains are stored, but also the remains of other people who participated in the uprising. It is located near the city called Santa Clara - just a kilometer from it, on the Plaza Revolution.
The Mausoleum of Che Guevara is an architectural composition, the center of which is the monument to the Comandante. Surrounded by four arrows. Each of them is covered with sayings and bas-reliefs telling about the battle scenes that played such a huge role in the history of Cuba. At the mausoleum there is also a museum in memory of the revolutionary, where his personal belongings and items related to his political convictions are kept. Everyone can look at them - the museum is open to the public. Now you know, Where is Che Guevara buried?.
The Mausoleum of Che Guevara is a memorial complex dedicated to the Argentine-born Cuban hero Che Guevara. The complex, which includes a museum and a mausoleum, is located on the Plaza Revolution, a kilometer from the center of the city of Santa Clara, Cuba. The mausoleum contains the remains of Che Guevara and his 29 comrades, who were killed in 1967 in Bolivia while trying to organize an armed revolution.
A place of pilgrimage for all "Che enthusiasts", wannabe revolutionaries, political activists and thousands of tourists every year, the memorial is one of the most famous landmarks in the country. The center of the architectural composition is a 7-meter monument to Che Guevara, and 4 steles with sayings and bas-reliefs depicting battle scenes.
The mausoleum is located near the city of Santa Clara, which has the nickname "City of Che", as it was the site of the last conflict of the Cuban revolution, in which Che Guevara played one of the main roles. During the Battle of Santa Clara, forces under Che Guevara successfully defeated the demoralized forces of Cuban dictator Fulgio Batista, who later fled into exile.
Architecture
The construction of the memorial complex began in 1982, under the direction of the architects Jorge Cao Campos, Blanca Hernades and José Ramon Linares, together with the sculptors José de Lazaro Bencomo and José Dellara. The construction was carried out by 500,000 Cuban volunteers, in collaboration with experienced artisans. The memorial was opened on December 28, 1988 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Santa Clara.
On the stelae of the memorial complex, you can see stone carvings depicting the role of Che Guevara in the Cuban revolution. Also depicted here are scenes from various stages of the revolutionary's life, such as his time in Guatemala and at the United Nations, his farewell letter to Fidel Castro, cut out in full, along with a section of Guevara as minister of industry, going about his usual daily work.
The museum and mausoleum are located under the complex and represent a huge collection of historical documents, photographs of that time, Che Guevara's personal belongings, as well as the revolutionary's embalmed hands, which were cut off after the murder for verification of fingerprints. Ernesto's farewell letter to Fidel Castro occupies a special place.
Nearby is another sculptural complex - "Attack on an armored train", dedicated to the episode of the battle for Santa Clara, when Che Guevara used the tractors of the agricultural faculty of the local university to raise the railroad tracks. Due to this, the armored train that was taking troops from the Capiro hill derailed, and the officers who were in it asked for a truce. Both compositions are made by the famous Cuban artist José Dellara.
burial
The remains of Che Guevara and 6 partisans were dug up and brought to Cuba only in 1997, after two years of excavations near Vallegrande in Bolivia. On October 17, 1997, the burial ceremony of the bodies of the heroes in the mausoleum with military honors took place. As the coffins were unloaded from the jeeps, the schoolchildren's choir sang Carlos Pueblo's elegy "Hasta Siempre". Then Fidel Castro gave a speech: "Why do they think that by killing him, he will cease to exist as a fighter? Today he is in every place where there is a reason for protection. He cannot be erased from history, he has become a symbol for all the poor of the world this."
Later, the remains of 23 other partisans who fought shoulder to shoulder with the famous revolutionary were buried in the mausoleum.
