New Stalin monument in Moscow subway stirs debate
A monument to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin erected in Moscow's subway is stirring debate, with some Russians welcoming it as a historical tribute, but others saying it's a mistake to commemorate someone who presided over so much suffering.
The life-size wall sculpture in Moscow's Taganskaya metro station depicts Stalin standing on Moscow's Red Square surrounded by a crowd of Soviet citizens looking at him in admiration, and is a recreation of a monument that was unveiled in the same station in 1950, three years before Stalin died.
The Moscow metro said that the original monument to Stalin had been 'lost' in 1966 when the Taganskaya metro station hosting it had been reconfigured.
Nearly 700,000 people were executed in Stalin's 1937-38 Great Terror amid show trials and purges of his real and perceived enemies. Many other Soviet citizens were sent to the gulag, a grim network of prison camps, spread across the world's largest country.
The Moscow metro said in a statement that the new version of the monument, which was presented to the public on May 15, was one of its 'gifts' to passengers to mark the 90th anniversary of the sprawling, ornate and famously efficient transportation system.
The work's original title, 'Gratitude of the People to the Leader and Commander,' was dedicated to Stalin's role in delivering victory for the Soviet Union in World War II, the 80th anniversary of which Russia marked with pomp this year.
'This man (Stalin), he created a lot,' said Yevgeny Ivanov, a Moscow resident, who had come to look at the new monument on Wednesday.
'He has something to be proud of. And it is not for us to tear it down. A man did something - we must respect what he did.'
Kirill Frolov, another resident of the capital, said he accepted that Stalin's record was mixed and that you couldn't call him 'good.'
But he said that Stalin's role as a victor in World War II and his successful industrialization of the Soviet Union meant he had achieved real results and deserved to be remembered.
'This man did more for our country than anyone else. That's why I think that this (the new monument) is good and there should be more… Because the generation of, say, the 2000s and later, they don't really understand at all who this is.'
Others condemned the monument.
The Moscow branch of the liberal Yabloko party issued a formal protest against what it called the return of a monument to 'a tyrant and a dictator' and demanded that the Moscow metro focus on commemorating the victims of Stalin's repressions instead.
'The return of symbols of Stalinism to Moscow is spitting in the face of history and an act of mockery against the descendants of the repressed,' Yabloko said in a statement.
Unidentified individuals initially left two signs at the monument containing quotes from Russian President Vladimir Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev that were critical of Stalin. They were later removed.
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin for his brutality and crimes in 1956 and images of Stalin would later be systematically removed as part of a de-Stalinization campaign. In recent years, some monuments to Stalin have begun to reappear in some places, though his legacy remains deeply divisive.
Alexander Zinoviev, a researcher and expert on Soviet architecture, said he felt the new monument and the period it evoked had some parallels with the current mood inside Russia at a time when it is locked in a standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine.
'It is the same self-isolation, it is the same conservative ideology and reliance on our own strength,' he said.
'And this theme with Stalin, with his esthetics…that we need to trust our leader and be happy and not criticize those in power, it is very in tune with our time.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
How Ukraine pulled off ‘Operation Spiderweb' deep inside Russia
On the eve of negotiations in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, the Ukrainian military struck targets hundreds of miles inside Russian territory. Small drones, smuggled into Russia over many months, carried out the attacks. This show of force – one of the biggest Ukrainian attacks since the war started three years ago – boosted morale within Ukraine. But the path to a ceasefire remains murky. Host Elahe Izadi speaks with Ukraine bureau chief Siobhan O'Grady about whether these strikes could change the balance of power in the war in Ukraine. Plus, updates from a day of peace talks between the two powers. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Ukraine Says It Unleashed 117 Drones in Attack on Russia: What to Know
Ukraine said it secretly planted a swarm of drones in Russia and then unleashed them in a surprise attack on Sunday, hitting airfields from eastern Siberia to Russia's western border. The strike set several Russian aircraft on fire, stunned the Kremlin and dealt a strategic and symbolic blow to Moscow's relentless bombing campaign in Ukraine. Russian officials said that there were no casualties and that other Ukrainian attacks had been repelled. Here's what to know about the operation. What happened? Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian drones had attacked airfields in five regions stretching across five time zones. Several aircraft caught fire in the regions of Murmansk, near the border with Norway, and Irkutsk, in eastern Siberia, the ministry said. 'Some participants of the terrorist attacks were detained,' it said. Ukraine said that 117 drones were used in the attacks. An official in Ukraine's security services, known as the S.B.U., said that dozens of aircraft had been damaged in the strikes. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive intelligence operation. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Ukraine's surprise attack shows it may take a ‘major drone strike' to change US defense policy, experts say
Ukraine's surprise Sunday attack on Russian offensive weapons caches may be a good time for the U.S. to reflect on its own weaknesses, should one of its adversaries attempt a similar strike. Col. Seth Krummrich, a retired Army Special Forces commander and vice president at the Virginia-based security firm Global Guardian, warned that the U.S. remains vulnerable to drone attacks. "Interestingly, it is not a technological gap, it is a policy/authority process to engage and deny drone attacks," Krummrich said. "I assess it will take a major drone strike in the U.S. to change policy." Even civilian operations have a tough time getting approval for drone-interception-authority protections, the NFL excepted, he said. "Ukraine proved how easy it is to hide a drone swarm in a truck bed, get close to the target, then swarm and destroy targets in a minute or two. "Drones are cheap and easy to lethally modify. This know-how is readily available to all State and non-state enemy actors." America's best snipers will have trouble downing a target moving at 35mph, as quadcopter-drones can reach, according to Krummrich. He noted the panoply of threat-groups that could harness drone warfare, from China and North Korea to homegrown threats like Antifa and environmental extremists -- and laid out how a villainous actor could carry-out a strike on a sporting event from 1,000 miles away with proper planning and orchestration. Gen. David Grange, a retired veteran of the 101st Airborne, recently returned from Ukraine where his Osprey Relief Foundation team of elite military vets conducted a "point-of-need" assessment and supply delivery to field hospitals and the like. Grange said Ukraine's use of drones is a "textbook example of asymmetric warfare" – jargon depicting the proverbial David v. Goliath scenario. "If a similar drone-based attack were launched on U.S. soil, it would be extremely difficult to intercept once set forth in motion, much like the events of 9/11," Grange said. The general estimated that there are 3,000 gang members, terrorists and/or sleeper agents of hostile nations already stateside – and drone actions would be inexpensive and difficult to detect at present. But, the feds are aware there are vulnerabilities and actively working to prepare for a potential scenario, he added: "It's not a matter of complacency — it's a matter of catching up to a rapidly evolving threat landscape." Last year, civilians and officials alike appeared flummoxed by repeated sightings of suspicious drones in the Mid-Atlantic – including near the U.S. Army garrison at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, N.J., and President Donald Trump's nearby golf club. Several "spy balloons" allegedly launched by China crossed over the Arctic, Great Plains and sandhills in 2023. One balloon was downed and recovered off the Grand Strand, while remnants of another were scooped up in Lake Huron. Grange said the New Jersey situation was a "critical wake-up call." "Incidents like that underscore the importance of shifting from reactive posture to proactive deterrence," he said. "We're not starting from zero, but we are in a race to close the gap between emerging threats and our ability to counter them." The idea of an impenetrable North America is not sustainable, he said – warning not to panic but instead to surgically address those vulnerabilities. "Solving this challenge will require an all-hands-on-deck approach: federal, state, and local governments must work hand-in-hand with private industry, research institutions, and technology developers to close the gaps in our homeland defense posture," Grange said, adding the Ukraine-Russia conflict illustrates "the new face of warfare." At a December hearing, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, warned that, "in the wrong hands, drone technology can negatively impact American national security while disrupting critical infrastructure." "We must secure our skies from unauthorized aerial systems, but most importantly the homeland from foreign adversaries." Pentagon brass testified NORTHCOM would've downed any drone that appeared to pose any imminent physical threat. Kelly Siegel, CEO of National Technology Management, a Michigan-based cybersecurity firm, told Fox News Digital the Ukraine operation reminds us that more than three-quarters of all drones are made in China. Drone and cyber-related threats to the homeland overlap, he said. "Just like drones have rapidly become critical weapons, causing about 65% of Russian battlefield losses, cyber threats evolve at lightning speed. Staying disciplined and ahead of emerging tech is vital." Russia has already disrupted American-supplied guided weapons by electronically jamming them – an example of something that mirrors current threats to U.S. critical infrastructure and security systems, he added. In response to the concerns, a defense department official told Fox News Digital the Pentagon "routinely conducts threat assessments as the operational environment continues to evolve." "Our objective is to enable tailored response options to protect our service members and installations. Specific implementation details are not disclosed for operational security reasons." Israel, a key U.S. ally, is known for its "Iron Dome" missile defense system – backed by more than $2 billion in U.S. funding. The system has played a crucial role in intercepting rocket attacks from Hamas and other malign actors. The U.S. currently lacks a similar system, though Trump proposed what he calls a "Golden Dome" system. Canada can join the "Golden Dome" for $61 billion, or become the 51st state and join for free," Trump quipped Friday on Truth Social.
