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Memri
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
A Stalin Monument Opens In The Moscow Metro
First, a little background: In the early 1950s, during the dictator's final years, a bas-relief was installed in the passageway of Moscow's Taganskaya metro station. It depicted enthusiastic Soviet citizens literally worshipping Stalin. There was something almost ancient Egyptian in the degree of reverence portrayed. However, changes came quickly. Stalin died in 1953, and soon afterward, his personality cult was denounced. Stalin's head on the sculptural composition was replaced by that of some unnamed Red Army soldier. It did not look particularly logical. Why were these excited young men and women gazing adoringly and reverently at some random guy? Ultimately, in 1966, the bas-relief was removed entirely. In 2025, it was restored from photographs. To be blunt, the restoration was done poorly. Russian social media thoroughly dissected how graceless the new statues appeared, lacking necessary elegance and subtle curves. A former director of the Museum of Architecture, where photos of the original bas-relief were found, bluntly stated that this restoration was a cheap imitation compared to the original. This is true, though the issue here is certainly not just cheapness. A replica of a removed monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was installed in the Moscow Metro. (Source: @monumentalno) The Location Chosen Is Symbolic The return of Stalin monuments in Russia began in earnest in 2014, from Crimea. Tentatively, as a test, a monument commemorating the Yalta Conference was erected. Officially, it was not explicitly about Stalin; it depicted three political leaders, including Churchill and Roosevelt. But the main message was clear: It was a trial run, testing society's readiness to accept that soon, statues of mustached monsters would once again be marching across the country. Society did not protest. Eleven years later, there are roughly a hundred monuments to Stalin scattered throughout Russia. And now, it is Moscow's turn. The location chosen is symbolic: The circular metro line, in the heart of the city, where tens of thousands pass daily. All these people can see clearly: This is the new normal. Things will once again be this way. Changing heads on monuments was not practiced in ancient Rome alone as a cost-saving measure for new emperors. First Stalin's head. Then Putin's. And we have long understood whom Putin is emulating in both life and career. The Yabloko party, a faint memory of democratic Russia, has begun collecting signatures to dismantle the bas-relief. They have gathered slightly more than 2,000 in a week. Why so few? First, because it is Yabloko – a party long driven to the margins of public life. Second, people have lost the habit of participating in that very public life. No one believes a signature can make any difference. If for nearly a quarter-century you can vote for any president you like, yet the result is always predetermined, what hope is there for signatures? Besides, it might seem that Russia has far bigger problems right now. Why fuss over Stalin, when so many have died in the special military operation? Elvira Vikhareva Today, We Cannot Imagine Mass Repressions – But We Should But eventually, perhaps thanks to U.S. president Donald Trump, this operation will end. External enemies will wall Russia off behind an iron curtain. At that point, internal enemies will be required, and they will not be a mere thousand "foreign agents," as they are now, but far greater numbers. That is when Stalin will truly become useful again. We are moving toward him slowly but surely. Who could have imagined Russia plunging into war? Similarly, today we cannot imagine genuinely mass repressions either. But we should. All the necessary laws have long been in place, held back only by the regime's mercy in fully enforcing them. For now, the regime is content to intimidate us with isolated political persecutions, and it is succeeding. But once you start sliding down a slippery slope, there is no stopping. Even Stalin did not immediately begin with the Great Terror of 1937; he waited until the twilight of his life to decide to deport the Jews. Vladimir Vladimirovich still has quite some time ahead. But let us set forecasts aside and consider the symbolism here. Stalin has been placed in the metro, the underground world, so to speak. Away from the sun, away from fresh air. Symbolic, is it not? Go just a few meters deeper, and perhaps you will find the real Stalin, with a particularly hot cauldron reserved for him. While officially Russia combats satanism and protects believers' feelings, it simultaneously builds pagan altars like these, utterly removed from Christian faith. Why? What drives the authorities? Is it simply a desire to accustom the population to a new personality cult, or is there something deeper, more ancient, and more sinister here? Stalinist practices, meanwhile, have been justified for a long time already. Just a few recent news items: A Moscow court refused claims from descendants of repressed citizens who sought to reclaim property seized from their families during Stalin's time; In St. Petersburg, searches were conducted against Trotskyist students; one was arrested and sent to detention. I am not joking, this is happening. Where Stalin goes, Trotskyist hunts follow. Yes, those students may have been eccentric, but seriously imprisoning someone for leftist ideas has not been accepted anywhere in the civilized world for many decades now. Anywhere, but Russia. In short, Russia's capital has acquired a new tourist attraction. Visitors will stare at what these Russian barbarians have done, how, 70 years later, they love a man who exterminated them by all available means. As For The Shabby Quality Of Stalin's Monument, Just Wait: Better Ones Are Coming It is small consolation that China, from which tourists primarily come nowadays, is filled with monuments to Mao. After all, we never aspired to live like China, but rather like Europe. For centuries, we yearned to be part of Europe, only to become its laughingstock now. A grim one, admittedly, but a laughingstock, nonetheless. Indeed, you will not find instances in Europe where dictators' monuments are restored. Spain is cleansing itself of memories of Franco; Germany prosecutes admirers of Hitler; Portugal does not celebrate Salazar's legacy, and Greece wants nothing to do with its junta-era colonels. Only Russia, as always, follows its own unique path, paved with bones. As for the shabby quality of Stalin's monument, just wait: Better ones are coming. It was all predicted decades ago by Soviet-era bard Alexander Galich. And I still recall how these lines once seemed purely theoretical, archaic even: Our homeland's morning is rosy, Signals chirp and scatter free. Bronze ones depart, unsteady, But gypsum ones lie quietly. Though damaged now, still hidden, Their likeness preserved in dust. Give these plaster statues human blood, And again, they shall rise robust. And now, indeed, they are rising again. *Elvira Vikhareva is a renowned Russian opposition politician based in Russia. In 2023, she was poisoned with heavy metal salts.
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."
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.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
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." (Reporting by Moscow newsroomWriting by Andrew OsbornEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Putin completes quarter century, polls show he's still popular in Kremlin's hot seat
Live Events Exactly 25 years ago on May 7, an obscure ex-KGB colonel Vladimir Putin -- with little public exposure as deputy mayor of St Petersburg -- took the oath of the highest office in the post-Communist Russia. A quarter century later, Putin, 72, still remains the most popular politician of Russia, as was evident by last year's election that Putin won with 88.48 per cent of votes a TV documentary shown on Sunday he, however, said that he was looking for a successor, but it was not in his power as the successor would have to seek a popular vote in the elections with strong Putin, it has been a 25-year journey that has come to coincide with Russia's journey in the 21st predecessor Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first directly elected president, had resigned due to failing health on the backdrop of political instability, financial and economic, militantancy in the Northern Caucasus and a spate of terrorist attacks. He handed Putin - incumbent prime minister of the country - the hot Kremlin seat on the New Year eve, December 31, was elected on March 26, 2000 bagging 53 per cent votes by beating Communist rival Gennady Zyuganov and liberal Yabloko block leader Grigory Yavlinsky in "reasonably free and fair," polls according to a declassified US Embassy cable from Moscow in way Putin resolutely fought Chechen militancy, assured timely pensions to the most vulnerable section of the society and revived manufacturing in the country generating employment, ensuring a second term with almost 72 per cent to constitutional restraint of two four-year consecutive terms, he stepped aside and took over the job of prime minister under President Dmitry Medvedev for four due to Medvedev's constitutional amendments, the Presidential term was extended to six years and in 2012 and 2018 Putin was elected with 64.95 and 77.53 per cent votes when the constitution was amended by nationwide vote in July 2020, he was given the right to contest for two more six year terms till between, Russia had taken over Crimea in a peaceful operation on the backdrop of chaos in Ukraine, which Moscow claims was due to a US doctored coup against the legitimate President Viktor Yanukovich in March years later, after US-led NATO refused Putin's demand not to further expand and give Russia 'equitable' security guarantees, Russia began a 'Special Military Operation' in Ukraine on February 24, latest opinion poll showed that Putin's popularity rating stood at 80 per cent even as the country is fighting a war in Ukraine with the collective West amid crippling won last year's election with 88.48 per cent when the highest ever post-Soviet turnout of 77.49 per cent was recorded."We are facing a war with NATO, just like under Tsar Alexander I with Napoleon, or under Stalin with Nazi Germany. We forget our differences and solidly stand for our motherland whoever is the leader," said 72-year-old pensioner Tatiana P. Putin's India connectRetired Intelligence officer Vladimir Putin was working at the St Petersburg State University, when local Mayor Anatoly Sobchak invited him to become deputy mayor in-charge of foreign trade locals recall Putin, a fluent German speaker, used to go to receptions hosted only by consulates of Germany and India, because he was to encourage investments from Germans and wisely utilise Rupee debt repayment had developed very friendly relations with the then Indian Consul Dr Rameshchandra and developed a taste for Indian cuisine. In a public event in 1996, he clearly declared: "Those sitting in the Kremlin do not realise India's importance, we should invest rupee debt repayment funds for joint hi-tech projects."Shortly after this speech in the course of fresh elections, his patron Anatoly Sobchak, lost his job and Putin was invited for a job in the Kremlin was a period of political and economic turmoil in the Russian capital, incumbent Boris Yeltsin was getting weaker and rival oligarchs were indulging in infighting and getting richer by plundering the riches of the defunct Soviet empire. President Yeltsin appointed Putin as the director of Federal Security Service - FSB - equivalent to the US the backdrop of growing Chechen militancy and financial default of 1998, Yeltsin appointed several prime ministers and finally in September 1999 Putin was appointed head of the cabinet before his appointment as the caretaker president on New Year eve in his election, Putin visited India at the invitation of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the two leaders signed a strategic partnership treaty, which will also complete a quarter century this his memories of Putin's first official visit to India, former Chief of the International Department of the Russian Defence Ministry, Lt Gen (rtd) Leonid Ivashov told PTI: "On the way to Delhi, I told President Putin that he can develop relations with different countries but India is a special case and should always be on Russia's radar."Gen Ivashov recalls that many years later after his retirement, he was at a conference attended by Putin: "The President walked up to me and said, "I have not forgotten your advice about India."
