Putin's mad push to revive Soviet Union with Stalin statues & Red Army cosplay – as aide insists USSR ‘NEVER broke up'
THE SOVIET Union was a brutal regime fronted by dangerous, power-hungry madmen who ruled with a vice-like grip. Sound familiar?
Vladimir Putin has never been coy about his Soviet nostalgia - but in recent years has progressed from distant longing to enforcing a full-blown USSR revival programme
13
Putin to preside over the power wielded by the Soviet Union in the 20th century
Credit: Alamy
13
A huge Soviet flag was unfurled by a group of young cadets at the recent victory parade
Credit: AP/Dmitri Lovetsky
13
Moscow hosted a colossal parade on Victory Day this month to mark 80 years since the end of WW2
13
The parade took place in the shadow of the Kremlin
The despot is painting every part of Russia's society in Soviet colours - from erecting Stalin statues to cosplaying the Red
Army
.
Most alarmingly, his stooges have been sewing doubt that the USSR ever dissolved in the first place.
This week, Anton Kobiakov, a Kremlin advisor, insisted that the Soviet Union "still legally exists".
Another official chimed in yesterday to say the Kremlin was prepared to act on the "possible illegality" - whatever that could mean.
READ MORE ON RUSSIA
This narrative has festered for some time, but has been intensified since
Russia
invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine
used to be part of the USSR, so arguing the power never ceased to exist offers another excuse for its invasion to feed the Russian people.
Putin previously called the collapse of the USSR 'the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century" - and is on a mission to restore its might.
Statues of Soviet dictators have been springing up across Russia to serve as physical reminders of the glory days - before it call came crashing down in 1991.
Most read in The US Sun
This week, a life-sized statue of Joseph Stalin appeared in a busy metro station in Moscow - to the horror many modern Russians.
Stalin is attributed with causing up to 10million deaths during his reign of terror between 1924 and 1952, and was denounced by a later prime minster, Khrushchev, as a despot and mass murderer.
Putin visits Kursk just 35 miles from Ukraine for first time since recapturing territory with waves of suicide missions
But being a despot and mass murderer is apparently a green flag in Vlad's book.
Earlier this month, a bronze Stalin bust also appeared in a northwestern village, as well as an incendiary monument dedicated to him in a Ukrainian city invaded by Russia.
A local Communist Party
cheese
unveiling the bust said: "It's important for young people and for the older generation to recognise the people who made our country a great power.
"Stalin today is a symbol of victory that no one will ever be able to erase from
history
."
13
13
A statue of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin appeared at a metro station in Moscow this month
Credit: getty images
13
Russia's Defence Minister oversees the military parade on Victory Day
There are now over 100 Stalin replicas lurking around Russia - up from only a handful when Putin took charge.
Accompanying the monument in Melitopol, Ukraine, a plaque reads:
"To the organizer and inspirer of the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders, Generalissimo of the
Joseph
, from grateful descendants."
It's true that USSR forces played a role in defeating the Nazis in World War Two - but Putin has corrupted the history and exploited it for his own gain.
On May 9 this year,
China
,
Brazil
and
Slovakia
.
13
Flag-bearing servicemen lead the procession
Credit: EPA/PELAGIA TIKHONOVA
13
One of the guests on the front row of the parade
During his monologue, Putin harked back to the USSR and claimed it had been the most important force in defeating the Nazis.
The Kremlin has lied to its people that Nazism is rising again in Ukraine, and uses that to justify the illegal invasion of its neighbour.
Putin is trying to harvest the national spirit whipped up by the remembrance of WW2 and channel it into support for his land grabbing.
The Victory Day parade was also a chance for Russia's soldiers to dust-off their Red Army costumes.
Thousands of troops marched around Moscow's Red Square to a thunderous brass band, followed by a train of enormous nukes and heavy weaponry trundling through.
In the midst of the pomp, a group of young cadets unfurled a giant replica of the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag - literally putting the ideology in the hands of the
next
generation.
Putin took the mic to claim that "peace and justice are on our side," and th
at
the whole of Russia is united behin
d the war in Ukraine.
He said: "The whole country, society and people support the participants of the special military operation.
13
Russia's troops got dressed up in Red Army outfits
Credit: ap
13
Huge armoured tanks roll through Moscow's Red Square
Credit: REUTERS/Anton Vaganov
"We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory."
Then, in a deliberate dig at Trump, he declared: 'We won both wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance."
Russia expert Stephen Hall told The Sun: "Russia is trying to highlight they're not isolated, that it's
business
as usual and that they have the capacity to show military force.
"But we have to remember that a lot of this is for show, and also that this is the 80th anniversary of a celebration that is very important to
Vladimir Putin
."
BREAKING AWAY
Experts have explained that
Dr Bininachvili, an expert on Central Asia, told The Sun about one of those - Kazakhstan.
He said:
'The President has taken a stance opposite Russia, and openly challenges
"Kazakhstan wants to stay in line with the UN, in line with international
law
, which is seen as a direct challenge to Moscow.
He cited a meeting between
and Kazakhstan where both presidents opted to speak in their native tongue - despite both leaders knowing the Russian
language
.
13
A flyover of fighter jets trail the colours of the Russian flag in smoke
13
Putin and Xi Jinping having a natter while watching the victory parade
This action sent a strong signal to Moscow, as two of their closest allies and ex-Soviet states put their foot down.
Dr. Bininachvili also pointed out all other post-Soviet states, including Russian ally Belarus, refuse to recognize Russia's annexation of
Georgia
.
He said: 'It is quite evident that Putin's disastrous war in Ukraine and his aggressive revanchist policies aimed at restoration of Moscow's control over the former Soviet space has left him friendless, but it will take time before ex-Soviet pals turn on him.
'They are very careful not to make a faux pas and prefer to wait until some decisive points are reached on the
frontline
before they show their cards.'
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