Label
2024, "Beyond the Iron Curtain: Visions from the Cold War"
The Cold War ended in 1991 when the USSR collapsed. This photograph, taken seven years later, shows Fidel Castro and Pope John Paul II on a stage talking about how Cuba should be run for the sake of the country's people. Castro is pictured wearing a suit instead of his usual military clothes, a sign of respect for the Pope. The leaders mostly disagreed, as is perhaps evident in Castro’s finger being held up at the Pope, but were able to devise a compromise so the country could get the help it needed. Castro allowed the meeting to happen because he wanted to gain financial support and medical aid that had previously been provided by the USSR. The candid nature of the moment captured by Turnley could provide a more authentic view of the meeting than those showing the duo smiling and shaking hands.
Text by Amanda Conner, Washburn student