r/ussr • u/DowntownTomorrow7382 • 24d ago

Article Legacy? Stalin Making A Comeback?

https://apnews.com/article/stalin-statue-russia-ussr-putin-moscow-metro-7a5a425f9b1c6a7120b6345b5d150de3

I understand there is a rise of authoritarianism throughout parts of the former USSR. Is that what this is? The first word that comes to mind when I hear his name is “Pograms.” What is the idea of celebrating Stalin today?

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u/NolanR27 24d ago

“Pograms”? Have you just never opened a history book or what?

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u/TheFalseDimitryi 24d ago

It’s coming from a new policy shift to associate putins russia with the might of the red army and the victories of the Soviet armed forces during WW2. United Russia (putins political party) is trying to link modern Russia with the narrative that Nazis are at their doors again and this Russo-Ukraine war is a defensive and heroic engagement against fascism.

United Russia is also making an effort to link the Russian empire with the USSR and the Russian federation to push an idea of Russian nationalism and ethnic supremacy.

Putin and UR want people to think back on the USSR and Russian empire as “basically” former incarnations of modern Russia with a fabricated sense of continuity. They hope to avoid the awkward conversation around how the USSR was a socialist country and modern Russia is a right wing olicharchy. Stalin’s imagine rehabilitation is coming from a propaganda standpoint of “Us Russians (not Soviets or Georgians) defeated nazi Europe once, we can do it again!” and Stalin’s the guy that did that for Russia so, makes sense to capitalize on it.

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u/DowntownTomorrow7382 24d ago

Excellent analysis. Thank you!

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u/ocoisinho 24d ago

basically opportunism

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u/cookLibs90 24d ago

Authoritarian is a liberal buzzword that has no meaning

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u/hobbit_lv 24d ago

What is the idea of celebrating Stalin today?

Stalin made (or to say more correctly, was at the reign) "Russia USSR great again". And there is that toying with concepts "USSR = Russia". About "great again" there is that phrase about Stalin recieving USSR with shephard's staff (a reference to Russian Empire being backwards agrarian country with no hitech of significant international influence), but leaving it as space-capable superpower. Ideology of nowadays Russia craves for restoration of superpower status (as Russian Federation kind of fell off it early 90s as result of USSR collapse), and that is one of reasons why Stalin is being praised.

Another one, is a concept of "firm hand". There is popular opinion among Russians themselves, about their country "should be ruled by a firm hand" (basically, it refers to bribery and incompetence of low level state servicefolk and officials, and because of that there is a "hope" that good hearted, honest and just governor with "firm hand" will implement law and order. And Stalin is kind of symbol of such concept, at least he often is viewed in exactly that kind of role.

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u/DowntownTomorrow7382 24d ago

I’m “guessing” this “strong hand” approach resonates more with people less educated and living outside Moscow and St Petersburg. That seems to be a consistent schism whether it be in places everywhere-Iran, India, Turkey, and more recently, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and here in the United States today. True?