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70 years after Stalin's death, his legacy continues to be felt in Russia and Georgia 

2023-03-05 20:30:29Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

 

70 years after Stalin's death, his legacy continues to be felt in Russia
70 years after Stalin's death, his legacy continues to be felt in Russia and Georgia 

 

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of Joseph Stalin's death, attitudes towards the wartime leader of the Soviet Union remain mixed in the countries he once ruled with an iron fist. During three decades of dictatorial rule, Stalin oversaw rapid industrialization and victory over the Nazis, but also the death of millions through purges, labor camps, and starvation.

As Russia is embroiled again in the conflict in Ukraine, in what the Kremlin calls a new battle for national survival, memories of the Soviet dictator are very present.

"On the one hand, I would thank Stalin for the victory in the Second World War. But on the other hand he is a negative person for me because there were many deaths in his time. Many executions, shootings, deportations, the arts were banned. So it's impossible to have a final opinion," said 21-year-old Russian Madina, refusing to give her last name.

Stalin died on March 5, 1953, at the age of 74. Although public commemorations remain largely taboo and streets no longer bear his name, his reputation in recent years has undergone something of a renaissance.

Polls in 2021 by the Russian Levada center showed that 45% expressed "respect" for Stalin, while 48% supported the installation of monuments to him.

"I think there's a lot of respect for him. He did many good things for us. I think there are a lot of good memories of him," said 41-year-old Ksenia, a Moscow resident who also declined to give her last name.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees himself as an heir to the tsars of the past, has offered a measured assessment of Stalin, praising his wartime leadership while condemning his domestic policies as "totalitarian".

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin, which claims to be fighting Ukrainian neo-Nazis, has tried to use the Stalinist method of warfare, framing the campaign as finishing an unfinished business from World War II.

"Unfortunately, we see that the ideology of Nazism is in its modern form and its appearance directly threatens the security of our country," he said.

Ukraine says Putin is showing the same brutality as Stalin.

In Stalin's hometown of Gori, Georgia, many residents have a positive opinion of the Soviet leader even though Georgia has broken away from Russia and that country widely supports Ukraine.

"Most of the inhabitants of the city of Gori appreciate Stalin as a historical figure, a great man and ruler with an iron fist. But the attitude is changing and the younger generation is being more aggressive towards his figure", says 48-year-old resident Jakob Kikriashvili.

Born into a modest family in 1878 as Ioseb Dzhugashvili, Stalin spent his childhood in the town of Gori, before settling in the capital Tbilisi for studies.

Nowadays, the Stalin Museum on Stalin Boulevard of Gori city is the most attractive point for tourists coming from all over the world. In 2010, the Georgian government ordered the removal of Stalin's statue, saying he did not deserve it.

Tsotne Gogiashvili, a Gori resident in his twenties, says that while older people in the town still "worship" Stalin, younger generations have changed their minds.

"Most young people don't like it, which is a good trend", he says./ VOA


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