One of my favorite places in Mexico City

Trotsky's Bedroom (note the bullet holes)
Originally uploaded by drtaxsacto

I was going through some old photos in the last couple of days and found a set I took at the Leon Trotsky House in Coyacan. I've always found it a fascinating place.

When Stalin took power after Lenin's death some of the old guard did not find their situations improved. You can read about the perils of being on the wrong side in Darkness at Noon Arthur Koestler's novel. It was compelling for me when I first read it but Trotsky's last residence is even more so. You can see and touch the desperation in Trotsky's house.

Trotsky was a committed intellectual of the Russian Revolution. He held many important posts throughout the struggle from 1905. But he was also a thinker. He was booted out of Russia in the late 1920s and then to Norway (where Trygve Lie lie gave him exile) and then eventually "welcomed" to Mexico on a freighter to Tampico by Lazaro Cardenas. He lived in Coyacan near Diego Rivera.

In May of 1940 he survived an attack by Stalinists with 25 calibre machine guns. You can see the actual bullet holes in his bedroom. A short while later Trotsky was murdered by another agent of Stalin who was arrested but eventually got away from the Mexican system.

For the last several months of his life Trotsky lived in a steel enclosed bedroom - just like a prison. So he escaped one prison to get into another.


There are several things which fascinate me about the place. First, the sheer prison like existence that this man lived in the last several years of his life. Stalin could not be escaped. Second, he was consumed by ideas. His abilities with languages and his deep commitment to learning are well demonstrated. I think most of his ideas were nutty - but he clearly had a deep commitment to thinking. The first two conclusions often are linked. But third even with the violent history (both physical and intellectual) the museum is a peaceful haven with some wonderful gardens. They present a stark contrast to the history behind the place and the man.
Within close proximity are the Diego Studio, Frida Kahlo's House and the San Angel Inn - which is one of the best restaurants in the city. There is also the San Angel square which has a great Saturday market and also a couple of fun restaurants and a memorial to the Irish soldiers who were killed by American troops in the 1846 war. Every time I go to the area with an Irish friend we get to go to the site and hear about the brave Irish patriots. The ferment in in Mexico City during 1940s was a mix of revolutionary rhetoric, artistic expression and even some pretty classy architecture.