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Mixed Feelings, As Russia Marks 130 Years Since Stalin's Birth

Russian Communist Party activists lay flowers and wreaths at Josef Stalin's gravesite at the Kremlin on December 21.

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By Kevin O'Flynn

December 21, 2009

MOSCOW -- Millions of Soviet citizens perished in prison camps and ethnic-deportation campaigns under the reign of Josef Stalin.

Nonetheless, he remains one of Russia's most popular historical figures, remembered fondly as a strong leader who led the Soviet Union to victory in World War II.

"Comrades! The Great Patriotic War has ended with our complete victory," Stalin told Soviet citizens in a radio broadcast on May 10, 1945. "The period of war in Europe has come to an end. A period of peaceful development has now begun."

It was 130 years ago today that Stalin was born, as Iosif Dzhugashvili, in the Georgian town of Gori.

Russia's Communist Party is marking the anniversary with a wreath-hanging ceremony at Stalin's Kremlin gravesite and numerous marches in his honor.

"Between 3,000 and 5,000 people went. They kept coming and coming and coming, and we placed [flowers], and people were still coming," says Nikolai Kharitonov, a Communist lawmaker in the State Duma who was among those who went to Stalin's grave today. "That's why it's a holiday. I'm the son of an officer who served under the leadership of the Generalissimo Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin."

Communists handed out medals to a number of famous sportsmen, including former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov, to commemorate Stalin's birth. Party members also called for a moratorium on criticism of the controversial leader to allow people time to reflect on his accomplishments.

Polling Well

A recent poll indicates that most Russians already view Stalin's regime favorably. The survey, by the VTsIOM center for public opinion shows that 54 percent of Russians view Stalin's leadership qualities favorably. Only 8 percent, by contrast, gave a low assessment.

Last year, Stalin placed third in a television poll to identify the greatest Russian ever, behind 13th-century warrior Alexander Nevsky and early 20th-century reformer Pyotr Stolypin.

The political resurrection of Stalin's legacy has coincided with the rise of Vladimir Putin during the past decade. Many critics say the Kremlin has purposely burnished Stalin's legacy to feed public enthusiasm for a new generation of strong leaders.

Such trends are deeply disturbing to activists like Irina Shcherbakova of Memorial, a human rights group formed to honor the victims of Stalinist repression.

"I think that you shouldn't do anything on this day, as it's not a special day," says Shcherbakova. "The fact that it has become a special day in Russia is a huge problem, and says a lot about the chaos in the minds of our people and society."

WATCH: Stalin is reappearing underground in Russia.

More than 30 percent of people say they would like to see Stalin as a leader today, according to the VTsIOM poll, a view that Shcherbakova calls "sad."

"It's not just that Stalin isn't leaving us, but that he appears again and again in people's consciousness, and as an alternative," Shcherbakova says. "It shows that people don't have a notion of the past, or the past is so mythologized and deformed that it has nothing in common with the real past of the country."

Official Cool

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev surprised many this fall by openly criticizing the Stalin regime.

Speaking in a video blog on Russia's day of remembrance for the victims of political repression, Medvedev called Stalin's repression "one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Russia" and said he was "convinced that no development, no successes or ambitions of the country can be achieved at the expense of human grief and losses."

The state response to the anniversary has been muted. Russian television had no leading coverage of the day's events. And a new exhibit at a central gallery, timed to coincide with the anniversary, is designed to show the dictator at his most spiteful.

The exhibit, entitled "Messages from the Great Leader," consists of a series of 19th- and 20th-century nude drawings by famous artists defaced by handwritten notes by Stalin, in an attempt to taunt his party comrades.

One expletive-filled comment scribbled across the leg of a male nude is directed at Karl Radek, the former head of the Comintern, the international communist organization, who was believed to have been shot dead by Soviet secret police in 1939 at the height of Stalin's Great Terror.

"Ginger bastard Radek, if he hadn't pissed against the wind, if he hadn't been angry, he would be alive," Stalin's scribbles read.

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Comment Sorting

Comments page of 8

by: Political Dissident

December 21, 2009 15:23

Upon a quick glance, further research can no doubt substantiate a different and valid take concerning some of what has been said.

As is, the Communist numbers at the referenced gathering aren't great.

The accuracy of the referenced TV poll where Stalin finished third has been reasonably questioned. The third place finish was at a % figure of around 12%.

I remain of the impression that a good amount of Stalin's "support" is of the view that he was a "necessary evil" for the period in Soviet history, which he ruled (I don't buy that myself). Within this realm of thinking on how present day Russia should be governed, is a good consensus not favoring as great a Stalin fear/oppression factor and centralized governing process.

Note how the annual May 9 Victory Day holiday (commemorating the end of WW II) is typically observed in Russia. Overall, it tends to honor the collective heroism of a people over the genius of a dictator.

by: Political Dissident

December 21, 2009 15:58

Someone followed up on a point I raised.

That person said:

The RFE/RL article doesn't mention that about 300 people commemorated Stalin's birthday in Gori.

Mathematically, 5,000 of 140,000,000 equals 0.004% in Russia, and 300 of 4,300,000 equals 0.007% in Georgia. These numbers suggest that Stalin is about twice as popular in Georgia than in Russia.

by: Ray F. from: Lawrence, KS

December 21, 2009 17:22

"He who controls the past, controls the future," Orwell. Can't help but feel that Russia will continue to deteriorate into lawlessness until they come to grips with the sins of their past. Many Russians still have yet to learn that the end does NOT justify the means, and that the state derives its power from the consent of the governed. Good governance requires is built upon a sense of civic responsibility, and alas, Russians remain politically apathetic.

by: Konstantin from: Los Angeles

December 21, 2009 19:42

What a bag of lies!
It is raser "lies for survival of Great Russia" than about Stalin.

RUSSIA DON'T CARE MUCH ABOUIT ANYBODY, IT MURDERED PEOPLE AND NATIONS SINCE VARANGIAN INVASION IN 9 CENTURY AD, BUT IT WANTS IT:
- GIVE RUSSIA A GREAT FUHRER!
LIKE ALEXANDER NEVSKY (conqueror of Estonia)!
LIKE STOLYPIN (hanging executioner of Russia)!
LIKE STALIN (in arsenal of lying Russia he is presented as "expanding Great Russia Fuhrer")!

We all know that it was ethnic Russia that organized pogroms against non-Russians, like Jews and Poles in 1936, like Georgians in 1937 and so on, while Stalin, elected by Parliament of non-Russian nations and nationalities tried to save victims of crimes of ethnic Russia that controlled executive, Army and opressive agencies since time of Zars and Lenin.

He also tried to save me and millions of other non-Russian children, part of wich were killed anywhere by ethnic Russians.
In spring of 1947 I and my mother were sentenced to death by ethnic Russia, in Moscow, because I, at age 4, offered solutions and concepts of agreement with the people that helped to revive starving and freezing population and my name was mentioned in the article wrote by Stalin and Kaqganovich.
Russians were furious, because they were plagiarizing and usurping everything and also because I refused be their intellectual slave after the fact.
Because Stalin insisted on publishing of the article and he learned by accident from Kaganovich that Russians plagiarize and usurp from non-Russians, Russians put nim under house arrest.
Still, he sent some loyal to him at the time Russian officer of the guard to tell me and my mother to leave Moscow for one of constitutional republics, out of Russian jurisdiction.
He also promissed to talk out Russians from their new killing programs they already started.
The same or the next year he managed to surprise Russians - he rased a Russian girl in his hends and stroked head of a Russian boy, staying on the tribune in vew of many foreigners and said:
"We do not execute children in USSR!
Children are our Future!"
He asked Beria and Kaganovich to use that pretext and some non-Russian agents on streets to save by argument children and adults from assassinations by Russian agencies and national-wilde "Union of Russian People".
Still, I survived many of such attempts and non-Russian semetries in former USSR were filled with non-Russian children...

Stalin contributed more than anybody to standing up to nazi Germany and to victory in WW2, however he didn't do it to expand ethnic Russia - to the contrary, read his last speach in Posdam where he complained about Russian and British delegation conspireing to annex Europe!

Stalin devoted his life since childhood to liberty, dignity and progress of Northern and Eastern pillar of Caucasian World - From Eastern Europe through Far East and Sentral Asia...

Konstantin.

by: Reality from: Great Britain

December 21, 2009 23:17

Mike Averko strikes again?

The reality here is a significant number of Russian individuals (the equivalent of Neo-Nazis) celebrate the birth of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, mass murderer in C20 European history. One can imagine the justifiable outrage if a similar thing happened with reagrds to Hitler in Germany with him being portrayed in German school textbooks as 'an effective manager' with faults (as Stalin is portrayed in Russian revisionist school textbooks)

This from a country, Russia, that is only to happy to play up the Nazi past of non-compliant neighboring states (Baltics), whilst having a major problem with it's own home grown xenophobia and Neo-Nazis. A direct product of insular nationalism and the perennial populist Russian notion of might is right.

by: Sergey from: Chicago, Illinois, USA

December 22, 2009 11:47

Although it is very sad that majority of Russian people still view Stalin rather favorably than unfavorably, it is important to understand that they view favorably not real Stalin--the political mass murderer, the student and successor of Lenin in waging the war against the best and brightest of old/traditional Russia. Most modern Russians are in love with myth about Stalin created by Soviet Propaganda and Putin regime (i.e. "Stalin won the war", "Stalin repressions were necessary to turn the country from agrarian backwater into military/industrial powerhouse", "under Stalin we were powerful and respected around the world" and so on).

Another factor contributing to simmering nostalgia for Stalin regime--the dismal failure of the so called "liberal democracy" and "free market economy" and their purported champions to create conditions in which a decent life for average Russians is possible. After the gangster capitalism of 1990's transmogrified into Putin-Medvedev "power vertical" of 2000's, most Russians are simply allergic to words like "democracy", "free-market economy" and "liberalism".

The only good way out of the pernicious and ultimately self-defeating nostalgia about Stalin is for Russian liberals and civic rights activists first to recognize their own culpability in the Russia's post-Soviet string of tragedies (i.e. for their support or non-opposition to the lawlessness of 1990's). Russian self-proclaimed liberals also need to give up on idea to remake Russia in European image because Europe itself is hardly in good shape with creeping Islamization, serious tensions after EU eastward expansion, low birth rates among native populations and stagnant economy led by bloated and corrupt Eurocracy.

To rehabilitate itself in eyes of Russian public, Russian liberals and liberals worldwide first need to reject their own illusions about human nature (i.e. most humans are basically kind and good and only "social constructs" like nation-state make things bad) and recognize that every human has a capacity for good and evil and certain rules prohibiting certain kinds of behavior (i.e. no cursing in public) are essential for civilized life.

Russian liberals need to respect military and public safety service that make civilized life possible. For all the dismal state of today's Russian military and police, the rational liberals should show that they respect the idea of military and public service and recognize its immense value for society at large. They should support the idea that young people learn basics of military, civil defense and public safety service through a variety of programs in schools, colleges and universities that are essential to develop young adults (especially young men) into healthy, disciplined and self-confident citizens who are able to protect themselves and they loved ones in case of emergency situations.

by: Sergey from: Chicago, Illinois, USA

December 22, 2009 11:51

Speaking of military reform, while the idea Russian military being 100% volunteer professional force is overall a worthy goal, sometimes it is necessary to have a military draft if there is a shortage of volunteers or if there are emergency situations requiring temporary expansion of military and/or public safety personnel. So instead of talking about "militarization of society", the rational Russian liberals should support the idea that all reasonably healthy young people will go through some sort of basic military, civil defense and public safety training that could be customized toward a variety of groups ( i.e. 4-8 weeks every year for 4-5 years for college students, non-combat civil defense training for pacifists, etc.). Russian liberals arguing for reforming military draft system could offer to replace total conscription of young men with selective service draft to be declared by perhaps security council when there is a shortfall of volunteers or other situations requiring temporary expansion of military and that the selected draft system will be respectful of needs of potential draftees (i.e. deferment or short-term assignments when possible for college or doctorate students, young parents, caregivers for disabled parents and so on).

Russian liberals and civil rights activists should recognize that Russia has been historically Christian Orthodox country and society that tend to be more collectivist and view top rulers as divinely ordained. The economic and political system that is working for historically protestant countries, like United States with its tradition of rugged self-reliance and individualism, simply will not work in Russia. Certainly, Russian liberals should encourage Russian society to stop viewing top rulers as demigods beyond any criticism but as society leaders that need to be judged by their performance. However, Russian liberals should give up on dangerous illusions of rapidly changing Russian society in the way they like.

Russian liberals need to respect and be grateful for social and cultural heritage that grew from traditional Christianity (both Orthodox and Catholic) that establishes balance between rights and responsibilities of ordinary individuals, political authorities and business entities. Without Christian worldview (that is largely based on Judaic worldview), there wouldn't be such things as civil rights, human rights, women rights and so on. Just look on traditionally Islamic countries where women are treated as less than human beings. So teaching Christian worldview and Christian ethics in school should not be viewed as imposing religion on everyone, but as an essential part of making a morally and spiritually healthy individual. The courses in Russian Orthodox Christianity should certainly be geared for variety of groups including atheists and non-Christians, but everybody who make Russia his/her home should know about the role Christian Orthodoxy played in Russian History (both good and bad).

For instance in Israel everybody learns Torah/Tanakh (called "Old Tastement" in Christianity). It does not matter whether you come from Jewish Orthodox or secular atheist family because it is essential to know the philosophical and spiritual roots of the country you live in. Moreover, the Biblical values were essential in formation of Western Civilization, and you cannot call yourself truly educated if you are not familiar with the Bible.

To summarize, Russian Liberals should discover the value of rational patriotism and Christian teaching to be respected and accepted by Russian society at large thus making it impossible for Communists, Stalinists and Putin-Medvedev regime to manipulate patriotic feelings of Russian people for their unsavory purposes.

by: Political Dissident

December 22, 2009 13:03

Re: Some Recent Comments

The image of Russian school text books is off in accuracy. Overall, they are quite critical of Stalin. Of late, they've become even more critical.

Had Hilter been a victor over Stalin, the portrayals would be different. This has to do with how the winners of major wars often get the upper hand in the historical accounting. Is it being suggested that Hilter was either better or just as bad as Stalin? I take the view that both were bad, with Hilter being the noticeably enough worse of the two.

The highlighting of extremists in Russian society isn't complete when not stressing their % of the population and how extremists exist elsewhere.

by: Phillip Fine from: New York, New York

December 22, 2009 14:11

If this doesn't prove the masses are mindless sheep, nothing does. The crimes of the greatest mass murderer in history are excused a mere 60-70 years later. Add to that the countless millions lost b/c the top military echelon were all murdered or jailed right before WW2 (excuse me, I mean, the Great Patriotic War), rendering the Red Army dysfunctional and helpless by 1941. Jailing/exiling your own soldiers and citizens with "Fivers" or "Tenners" (durations of sentences) whose "crime of treason" was being caught/captured by the enemy. The dreaded fear of the knock on the door in the middle of the night. But N. Krupskaya's reading of Lenin's warning had zero impact against the ultimate political manipulator, who always prevails above all others under any "-ism" in any country at any time.

by: Phillip Fine from: New York, New York

December 22, 2009 17:30

Correction - of course, I meant "ONE OF the greatest mass murderers".