Cold War museum
A carved wood sculpture of Lenin by ethnic Hungarian artist Csorvassy Istvan points at visitors to the Wende Museum of Cold War history in Culver City. Until recently the museum served primarily as a research institution, known mainly to professors, Cold War buffs and graduate students. Soon it may move to a larger location that would allow it to be open to the public more and feature larger exhibits. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Intern Ashley Johnson records details of a Wanderfahne flag, as a porcelain bust of Vladimir Lenin seems to look on. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
A kit used to forge passports, visas and other documents is among the Cold War artifacts on display at the Wende Museum. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Photos of people with similar faces, and of the same person with different looks, that were used to test East German guards before duty at the Berlin Wall are part of an exhibit at the Wende. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Executive Director Justinian Jampol is surrounded by artifacts, including a portrait of Vladimir Lenin and boxes holding a fraction of the Wende’s archived items. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Sculptures of Lenin that were discovered in the basement of the former Ministry of Justice in Budapest, Hungary, wait as a tour group takes in East German posters. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
Assorted busts of communist leaders and ideologues, including Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, are part of the massive collection of the Wende. Moving into a larger building would allow the museum to exhibit more of its holdings and better serve its growing audience. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)
