Russia
Editorial
Westerners keep accusing Russia of being nostalgic for Stalin, said Moscow’s Izvestia in an editorial. But that sort of naive sentiment isn’t nearly as pervasive as they think. A good test of just how mature our understanding of history is came last week, with the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Stalin’s victory over Nazi Germany. Many abroad and here in Russia feared that authorities might exploit the day as an opportunity to honor Stalin “under the guise of paying respect to war veterans.” Instead, no such “re-Stalinization” happened. President Vladimir Putin barely mentioned the man, and certainly did not praise him “except to point out that he was not a Nazi.” It’s true that a few Stalin statues have gone up in isolated spots around the country, and maybe some of the elderly long for the days when their pensions were, if not generous, at least delivered. But most of us have lost our illusions. “The official textbook of modern Russian history will at least point out that Stalin annihilated people on a massive scale, and did not save mankind.” For Russians, that’s an intellectual revolution.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
-
In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
-
Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
