Latest news with #SovietHistory
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Russians hail beauty of Moscow metro on its 90th birthday
MOSCOW, May 13 (Reuters) - In Moscow, some of the best architecture may lie many metres underground. With its vaulted ceilings, marble floors and tiled mosaics of Vladimir Lenin and the Red Army, the Moscow metro is a crown jewel of the Russian capital. In the decades since Muscovites boarded the first train, 90 years ago this week, the metro system has grown to meet the demands of the ever-growing metropolis. Each day, millions of commuters in the city of 13 million crowd into the metro's 302 stations to ride on one of 16 snaking lines on their way to work or school. Moscow transit authorities pride themselves not just on the metro's cleanliness and efficiency, but on its beauty. "As a modern metro, it incorporates many architectural styles," says Yevgeniy Dovka, a Moscow transit official. "Each station is individual and practical, and has its own artistic solution." Many newer stations depart from the grandiose Soviet style and feature decorations inspired by modern city life. The recently-completed station in Nagatinsky Zaton in southern Moscow, for example, displays mosaics of fish found in local rivers. Some daily riders, such as Viktoria, 25, say they prefer the older styles. "Modern is not exactly my jam," she says. Travelling via an older station "feels like you've been to a museum." Over the decades, the metro has witnessed important events in Soviet political history. In Mayakovskaya station, tour groups now crane their necks towards mosaics celebrating Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War. Amidst that war, Soviet leader Josef Stalin convened a meeting of the Moscow City Council in the station's main hall, where he addressed party leaders and ordinary citizens sheltering from Nazi bombs from a lectern before treating them to a buffet. These days, Muscovites still find themselves wowed by the metro's rich history and beauty. "I feel proud of it," Alina, 18, says. "Sometimes I think of moving somewhere (else), but I don't know how I'd live in a place without a metro."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kremlin uses World War II myths to justify war against Ukraine
Ahead of Victory Day on 9 May, Russian authorities have stepped up their historical propaganda in an attempt to present the war against Ukraine as a continuation of the USSR's heroic path in World War II. [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May – ed.] Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Details: Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note that the Kremlin is continuing to draw on Soviet-era narratives of victory in the Second World War to establish an information context intended to justify the protracted war in Ukraine and future aggression against NATO in the eyes of Russian society. On 8 May, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov released an article in which he asserted that Russia's war in Ukraine would go down in history as a feat comparable to the Red Army's defeat of Nazi Germany. Belousov also claimed that Russia's actions in Ukraine are a continuation of the "glorious traditions" of Soviet valour and heroism, as well as the enthusiasm of the Soviet people to mobilise and support the war effort. He also stated that Russia's victory in Ukraine is "inevitable". ISW analysts report that these analogies to Russia's Soviet past are also actively supported by Russian state media, pointing to an intentional attempt to forge a new state ideology. Quote: "Kremlin officials have recently seized on the mythos of the Second World War to form the basis of a new pseudo-state ideology that will span across generations and that the Kremlin intends to use to justify potential future aggression against the West." Details: Belousov reiterated the narrative that Russia had no viable alternative but to commence a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, presenting it as a matter of life and death. Moreover, Dmitry Medvedev, Head of the Russian Security Council, warned European states, saying they ought to "remember the crushing defeat of Nazi Germany" when supporting Ukraine. ISW analysts stress that this information operation is part of a larger reflexive control strategy designed to erode European backing for Kremlin continues to seize on the Russian mythos of the Second World War ahead of Russia's 9 May Victory Day holiday to set informational conditions to justify a prolonged war in Ukraine and future aggression against NATO to Russian society. Belousov explicitly identified large-scale Russian military reforms as preparations for a future conflict with NATO as Russian Security Council Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev threatened European countries that support Ukraine. Russia claimed to have implemented its unilateral Victory Day ceasefire on 8 May and accused Ukraine of ceasefire violations even though Ukraine did not officially and publicly agree to Russia's ceasefire. Russia's unilateral Victory Day ceasefire and accusations of violations continue to demonstrate the necessity that any ceasefire or peace agreement be formally agreed to in advance by all parties and include robust monitoring mechanisms. Ukrainian officials continue to highlight Ukraine's willingness to implement US President Donald Trump's desired 30-day ceasefire to precede peace talks. The Kremlin is attempting to exploit its unilateral Victory Day ceasefire to blame Ukraine for the lack of progress toward a longer-term ceasefire and peace negotiations despite Russia's continued rejection of such a longer-term ceasefire. Russian leader Vladimir Putin and People's Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping conducted a series of bilateral engagements in Moscow on 8 May, showcasing deeper Russian-Chinese cooperation and alignment. The joint Russian-Chinese statement on 8 May referenced Putin's original aims in launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to lend international support and legitimacy to Russia's goals and attempted justifications for the war. The joint Russian-Chinese statement supported Putin's proposed Eurasian security architecture and Russia's ongoing efforts to create a Russia-dominated alternative, anti-Western bloc. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UN HRMMU) reported that Ukrainian civilian casualties have significantly increased between 2024 and 2025. The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) ratified the US-Ukrainian bilateral economic partnership agreement on 8 May. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Toretsk. Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk and Sumy oblasts and near Kupiansk, Borova, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
