Murals of León
I knew I wanted to walk about the town of León because I had read about the plethora of history to be unfolded here. I had planned on wandering on my own and finding my own way, I had not planned on meeting Maria. I ran into una nica viejo, an elderly Nicaraguan woman, who had not only lived through the revolution and civil war of the mid-1990's, but had a burning passion to teach those around her of what happened in these hard times. Had I not run into Maria, I would have walked past most of the history even though it was painted on the city walls! Maria took me through the intricate details of each mural, pointed out each symbol and explained its significance. I had walked by some of these murals and noticed them, but had no idea they had deep meaning. I treated them like most murals you would see in Canada: a work of art that may have some meaning to the artist or a specific group of people. These murals meant something to the entire country of Nicaragua. Each had their story or multiple stories entwined around each other in an incredibly powerful display of artistic license. All of the murals looked brand new, like they had just been painted. This is because they were touched-up in preparation for an important anniversary -that of the death of the four students and professor. These five highly-intellectual individuals were murdered on the street because they were actively rebelling against the government at the time. They are depicted in one mural shown in the picture above. More murals, plaques, and statues were found all over town in commemoration of these individuals. It was so touching. I can't imagine living in a city that had so many visual reminders of its history. I've been to Europe, this was different. The colours were so vibrant and the art so contemporary, it was utterly surreal. The other picture above is a fraction of a two-walled mural in a corner of town that represented a timeline of events that lead to the end of the civil war and a bright new beginning for the children of Nicaragua.
I knew I wanted to walk about the town of León because I had read about the plethora of history to be unfolded here. I had planned on wandering on my own and finding my own way, I had not planned on meeting Maria. I ran into una nica viejo, an elderly Nicaraguan woman, who had not only lived through the revolution and civil war of the mid-1990's, but had a burning passion to teach those around her of what happened in these hard times. Had I not run into Maria, I would have walked past most of the history even though it was painted on the city walls! Maria took me through the intricate details of each mural, pointed out each symbol and explained its significance. I had walked by some of these murals and noticed them, but had no idea they had deep meaning. I treated them like most murals you would see in Canada: a work of art that may have some meaning to the artist or a specific group of people. These murals meant something to the entire country of Nicaragua. Each had their story or multiple stories entwined around each other in an incredibly powerful display of artistic license. All of the murals looked brand new, like they had just been painted. This is because they were touched-up in preparation for an important anniversary -that of the death of the four students and professor. These five highly-intellectual individuals were murdered on the street because they were actively rebelling against the government at the time. They are depicted in one mural shown in the picture above. More murals, plaques, and statues were found all over town in commemoration of these individuals. It was so touching. I can't imagine living in a city that had so many visual reminders of its history. I've been to Europe, this was different. The colours were so vibrant and the art so contemporary, it was utterly surreal. The other picture above is a fraction of a two-walled mural in a corner of town that represented a timeline of events that lead to the end of the civil war and a bright new beginning for the children of Nicaragua.
This is such an incredible story Krisztina. I think because you are so open and naturally inquisitive, people like Maria come into your life more frequently. People who just blow through life on a mission never get to experience that kind of beauty. I'm so glad you're keeping your eyes open and are still full of so much passion. Keep writing and taking pictures! Love living vicariously through you. Wish I was with you all the time ;) xoxoxox
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