Photo Essay: Were You in Moscow in '91?

Photoessay

By Leonard Kniffel

  • Paris, 1989: The Pyramid at the Louvre remains arguably the most spectacular ven
  • Stockholm, 1990: Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, royal patron of the conference,
  • Moscow, 1991: Defenders of the Russian parliament resist the coup d’etat with ba
  • New Delhi, 1992: Delegates celebrated the centennial of India’s library science
  • Barcelona, 1993: The architecturally rich Poble Espanyol hosted 3,500 delegates
  • Havana, 1994: Around the world, eyes focused on Cuba, while IFLA-goers, includin
  • Istanbul, 1995: The splendid Ciragan Palace was the site of a glamorous receptio
  • Beijing, 1996: The dense traffic in the center of the city was brought to a stop
  • Copenhagen, 1997: Danish librarians brought 141 colleagues from economically und
  • Amsterdam, 1998: Rembrandt’s famous painting Night Watch was brought to life on
  • Bangkok, 1999: Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presses “the royal button on
  • Jerusalem, 2000: Delegates visit Masada, the ancient Jewish stronghold, while th
  • Boston, 2001: Publisher Klaus Saur of Germany and then–IFLA President Christine
  • Glasgow, 2002: At the Edinburgh military tattoo, kilted bagpipers formed a “50”
  • Berlin, 2003: One of the worst heat waves on record couldn’t keep the IFLA board

(Click any photo to jump into the slideshow)

For many years after the 1991 conference of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in Moscow, longtime IFLA-goers who witnessed the coup d’etat that broke out there in the middle of the meeting would greet one another with memories of that historic event. The coup marked the beginning of the end for communism in the Soviet Union. Many had not only witnessed the coup but had been caught up in it, helping Russian librarians distribute information, knocking down statues of Lenin, and talking with soldiers atop the tanks surrounding the Russian parliament.

While most IFLA conferences could not deliver anything as spectacular as a coup d’etat, there are dramatic moments to remember from many—visits from royalty, political intrigue, and splendid cultural venues. Can you name the location and the events depicted in these photos?

IFLA 2010 meets in Gothenburg, Sweden, August 10-15.  Follow the hashtag #IFLA2010.

Posted Tue, 08/03/2010 - 14:40

Comments

Amazing

It is amazing how pictures can tell such stories and allow people to see the truth about events and things that happened in our history. They remind us of what was and how not to get there again and can show us how things change for the better or worse over time.

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