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Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Stalin's image returns to Moscow's subway, honoring a brutal history
Among those admiring the work on a recent visit was Liliya A. Medvedeva, who said she was 'very happy that our leader got restored.' Advertisement 'We won the war thanks to him,' said Medvedeva, a pensioner born in 1950, adding that she was grateful that Stalin didn't send her father to the Gulag even though he was taken prisoner during World War II — something that was equated with treason at the time. 'Yes, there were many mistakes, but everybody makes mistakes.' In a country where criticizing government action can be dangerous, it is unclear how many people disagree with Medvedeva's positive view, but some are dismayed, even enraged, by what they see as revisionist whitewashing of history. Advertisement Vladimir, a 25-year-old history student who refused to give his last name for fear of retribution, said he came to watch the crowd drawn by Stalin, whom he called 'a bloody tyrant.' 'It is hard for me to express my own opinion,' he said. 'But no other monument would draw as much attention.' Stalin was responsible for mass purges, including the Great Terror of 1936 to 1938, when more than 700,000 people were executed, including military leaders, intellectuals, members of ethnic minorities, landowning peasants, and others. Under his leadership, entire ethnic groups, like Crimean Tatars, were expelled from their homelands. His policies contributed to mass famine across the Soviet Union, including in Ukraine. But nostalgia for the Soviet era is strong, especially among older generations traumatized by the painful transition to capitalism, reinforcing memories of Stalin as a strongman who imposed order on a sprawling country and led it to victory against Nazi Germany. His admirers see purges, famines, and mass deportations as 'excesses' for which overzealous local officials were mostly responsible. Since Vladimir Putin took power more than 25 years ago, at least 108 monuments to Stalin have been erected across Russia, and the pace has accelerated since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said Ivan Zheyanov, a historian and journalist who has kept track of the statues. One was installed this year in the Ukrainian city of Melitopol, currently occupied by Russia's forces. But none of them have the visibility of the new sculpture in the subway, passed daily by legions of Muscovites changing between the main circle line and the purple line. Advertisement For years the Kremlin tried to maintain something of a balance, taking note of Stalin's repressions while opposing the liberal intelligentsia whose main ideological tenets included anti-Stalinism. Putin has repeatedly condemned Stalin over the years, and recognized that terrible crimes were committed under his rule. He has visited the sites of mass graves and convened human rights activists and historians to discuss Stalinism. In 2001, Moscow City Hall founded the Gulag History Museum, which vividly showcased how a system of mass labor camps led to as many as 2 million deaths. But for several years, something entirely different has been happening in parallel. The Memorial, the most prominent Russian civil rights organization founded by dissidents during late Soviet times, was declared a foreign agent in 2014. At the end of 2021, Moscow City Court ordered it to disband. In 2017, Putin told filmmaker Oliver Stone that 'excessive demonization of Stalin has been one of the ways to attack the Soviet Union and Russia.' After a series of lengthy trials, Yuri A. Dmitriev, an amateur historian who discovered graves of Stalin's victims in a remote pine forest in northern Russia, was sentenced in 2021 to 15 years in prison. Dmitriev had been found guilty of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, charges his family and friends dismissed as fabricated. The Gulag History Museum was shut down in 2024 citing fire regulations and has not reopened. Roman Romanov, its longtime director, was removed from his post and the museum's exhibits are being redone under a new leadership. This April, the government renamed Volgograd's airport for Stalingrad, as the city was called from 1925 to 1961, honoring both the colossal battle fought there in World War II and the ruler it had been named for. Advertisement 'The creeping re-Stalinization of the country is dangerous not only for society, as it justifies the largest government atrocities in the country's history, but also for the state,' said Lev Shlosberg, a Russian opposition politician and member of the liberal Yabloko party that started a petition to dismantle the monument in the Moscow metro. 'Sooner or later, repression consumes the government itself.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sergei Loznitsa's ‘Two Prosecutors' Scores Fresh Deals For Coproduction Office
EXCLUSIVE: Sergei Loznitsa's drama Two Prosecutors, set against the backdrop of Stalin's Great Terror, has chalked up a fresh round of deals following its well-received world premiere in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Paris-based Coproduction Office has sealed new sales to Spain (Wanda Vision, Filmin), the Nordics and Iceland (Edge Entertainment), Poland (Aurora Films), Greece (Filmtrade) Turkey (Bir Film), Australia and New Zealand (Sharmill Films), Japan (Longride Inc.), Taiwan (Andrews Film), Hong Kong (Edko), India (Impact), Indonesia (Falcon Pictures), Brazil (Retrato Filmes), and Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay (Zeta Films). More from Deadline Janus Films Acquires Bi Gan's Cannes Prize-winner 'Resurrection' For North America Netflix Buys Richard Linklater's 'Breathless' Homage & Love Letter To Cinema 'Nouvelle Vague' In Record Domestic Deal For A French-Language Movie Breaking Baz @ Cannes: "Even If I'm Fired, I Stay," Declares Defiant Thierry Frémaux; Festival Victors Dance The Night Away After Strongest Selection In Years Previously announced deals include to Italy (Lucky Red), Portugal (Alambique), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Hungary (Vertigo), Eastern Europe (HBO Europe), Estonia (Filmstop), ex-Yugoslavia, Israel (Lev) and Middle East (Falcon Films). The film was pre-acquired by Pyramide Distribution for France, which has set a September release, and Progress Film for Germany. Adapted from the eponymous novel by physicist and Gulag survivor Georgy Demidov, the film is set in the Soviet Union's era of Great Terror, or Great Purge, in the late 1930s, in which Joseph Stalin consolidated his power by either killing or incarcerating political opponents in harsh labor camps. The film focuses on a young prosecutor who sets out to challenge a system during this period after discovering a letter from a prisoner who is a desperate plea for help. Deadline critic Damon Wise noted the contemporary resonance of the story, calling the film 'a bleak warning from history' in his review, adding it held 'relevance to every country wrestling with authoritarian political parties right now.' The film is produced by Kevin Chneiweiss for France's SBS Productions, alongside Loznitsa's Netherlands-based banner Atoms & Void. Additional producers include Germany's Looks Film, Latvia's White Picture, Romania's Avanpost Media, and Lithuania's Studio Uljana Kim. SBS International is handling rights for the U.S. and U.K. Loznitsa, who is best known for his politically charged documentaries and strong fictional narratives, most recently presented his documentary The Invasion in the Special Screening Section at Cannes 2024. His past feature credits include My Joy (Cannes Competition 2010), In the Fog (Cannes Competition 2022), A Gentle Creature (Cannes Competition 2017) and Donbass (Best Director, Cannes Un Certain Regard 2018). Best of Deadline 'Hacks' Season 4 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About 'Hacks' Season 4 So Far 'The Last Of Us': Differences Between HBO Series & Video Game Across Seasons 1 And 2
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in Moscow metro stirs debate
MOSCOW (Reuters) -A monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin erected in Moscow's metro 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 transport 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 Two, 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 Two and his successful industrialisation 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 which were critical of Stalin. They were later removed. DE-STALINISATION 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-Stalinisation 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 we need to trust our leader and be happy and not criticise those in power, it is very in tune with our time."
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in Moscow metro stirs debate
MOSCOW, May 22 (Reuters) - A monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin erected in Moscow's metro 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 transport 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 Two, 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 Two and his successful industrialisation 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 which 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-Stalinisation 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 we need to trust our leader and be happy and not criticise those in power, it is very in tune with our time."
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in Moscow metro stirs debate
MOSCOW - A monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin erected in Moscow's metro 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 transport 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 Two, 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 Two and his successful industrialisation 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 which were critical of Stalin. They were later removed. DE-STALINISATION 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-Stalinisation 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 we need to trust our leader and be happy and not criticise those in power, it is very in tune with our time." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
