Moscow
The mayor of Moscow shocked the country this week by siding with those who want to put a huge statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Soviet secret police, back up in a prominent city square. Dzerzhinsky launched the Red Terror, during which his secret police killed thousands of anti-Bolsheviks. His statue, which stood outside KGB headquarters, was felled in 1991 during the celebrations of the end of the Soviet Union. But Mayor Yury Luzhkov has chosen to focus on his positive achievements, saying, “We should remember that he solved the problem of homeless children.” Right-wing politicians vowed to block the statue’s return. They called instead for a monument to the millions of victims of communism.
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.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
The daily gossip: Nicolas Cage plans to make only 'three or four more movies,' Billie Eilish accuses Variety of 'outing' her, and moreThe daily gossip: December 4, 2023
-
The next Supreme Court case could spell the end of Purdue Pharma
Talking Point The court is weighing in on a potential settlement involving the long-maligned company
-
Is it time to do something about the Insurrection Act?
Today's big question New worries over an old law have prompted calls for legislative change ahead of Trump's potential return to office
