How to explain this in Russia today?

[kowalskil]

How to understand this?

The 70th anniversary of the German attack on the Soviet Union was on June 21. On that occasion I visited many Russian websites. What a surprise to find that both communists and anticommunists glorify Stalin in today's Russia.

Communists remember him as a great Marxist ideologist, as Lenin's partner, as a leader responsible for collectivization of agriculture, for rapid industrialization, and for merciless destruction of traitors, especially within the communist party and the military, in the late 1930's. Briefly, they glorify him as the leader of the Soviet proletarian dictatorship, and as a military genius responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism.

The anticommunists also claim that Stalin was responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism. But they totally ignore his communist ideology, and the brutality he used to impose obedience. Logically, the attitude toward Stalinism should divide communists and anticommunists. But in reality it seems to unite them. How can this be explained?

And this is not the only puzzle. As some of you probably remember, I wrote a memoir about life in the Soviet Union during the first year of the war. It can be seen at

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kow...dedenievo.html

Thinking about the approaching 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War--that is how Russians refer to their experience during WWII--I sent the above link to perhaps as many as 20 editors of Russian newspapers, giving them permission to translate and publish my memoir. Not a single one responded. How can this be explained?

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

his profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html

[Graybeard]

I sent the above link to perhaps as many as 20 editors of Russian newspapers, giving them permission to translate and publish my memoir. Not a single one responded. How can this be explained?

It could be explained many ways ....... there could be a wide variety of reasons .... many sympathetic.

How do you explain it ?

greg

[kowalskil]

It could be explained many ways ....... there could be a wide variety of reasons .... many sympathetic.

How do you explain it ? greg

Perhaps they know that their readers would not be interested.

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

his profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html

[Graybeard]

Perhaps they know that their readers would not be interested.

Its possible ... the war was a long time ago ... and not many see profit in remembrance. But do you see a more conspiratorial reason ?

Also .... simply from a perspective that has never been available to me before ... I would appreciate a short pen-portrait from you on Zhukov. I am presumptious in asking this, but such an opportunity may not present again. You were there, and so my temerity, which I hope you will excuse.

sincerely ... greg

[Meem]

When I think of the former C.C.C.P. and or Soviet Union I think of a lot of proud, strong, and fighting people. The easy answer to me seems to be blind nationalism. Which also seems slightly ironic, because that was the heart and soul power of the fascism they were proud to have defeated. But I don't think the people are currently suffering this ill so much as, they just do not have a whole heck of a lot to be proud of, and pointing out something terrible on the opposite end of the spectrum to not be proud of to the extent of making a point out of it ...

Well maybe that would send a few people already on the ledge over (very few), and possibly get more people headed in that direction. Germans are extremely "sore" about Hitler. They do not allow swastika to be printed on anything, or even shown on television, even if in a historical context.


At the end of the day,

Can you blame them for not wanting to remember, or "celebrate?"

[mkirkpatrick]

How to understand this?

The 70th anniversary of the German attack on the Soviet Union was on June 21. On that occasion I visited many Russian websites. What a surprise to find that both communists and anticommunists glorify Stalin in today's Russia.

Communists remember him as a great Marxist ideologist, as Lenin's partner, as a leader responsible for collectivization of agriculture, for rapid industrialization, and for merciless destruction of traitors, especially within the communist party and the military, in the late 1930's. Briefly, they glorify him as the leader of the Soviet proletarian dictatorship, and as a military genius responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism.

The anticommunists also claim that Stalin was responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism. But they totally ignore his communist ideology, and the brutality he used to impose obedience. Logically, the attitude toward Stalinism should divide communists and anticommunists. But in reality it seems to unite them. How can this be explained?

And this is not the only puzzle. As some of you probably remember, I wrote a memoir about life in the Soviet Union during the first year of the war. It can be seen at

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kow...dedenievo.html

Thinking about the approaching 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War--that is how Russians refer to their experience during WWII--I sent the above link to perhaps as many as 20 editors of Russian newspapers, giving them permission to translate and publish my memoir. Not a single one responded. How can this be explained?

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

his profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html

There is nothing so fickle as peoples memories Ludwik,mant just remember what suits them!

regards michael.

[kowalskil]

Its possible ... the war was a long time ago ... and not many see profit in remembrance. But do you see a more conspiratorial reason ?

Also .... simply from a perspective that has never been available to me before ... I would appreciate a short pen-portrait from you on Zhukov. I am presumptious in asking this, but such an opportunity may not present again. You were there, and so my temerity, which I hope you will excuse.

sincerely ... greg

I do not know much about Zhukov as a person.

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

his profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html

[kowalskil]

When I think of the former C.C.C.P. and or Soviet Union I think of a lot of proud, strong, and fighting people. The easy answer to me seems to be blind nationalism. Which also seems slightly ironic, because that was the heart and soul power of the fascism they were proud to have defeated. But I don't think the people are currently suffering this ill so much as, they just do not have a whole heck of a lot to be proud of, and pointing out something terrible on the opposite end of the spectrum to not be proud of to the extent of making a point out of it ...

Well maybe that would send a few people already on the ledge over (very few), and possibly get more people headed in that direction. Germans are extremely "sore" about Hitler. They do not allow swastika to be printed on anything, or even shown on television, even if in a historical context.


At the end of the day,

Can you blame them for not wanting to remember, or "celebrate?"

Germans do more to teach about evils of Nazism, to their students, than Russians do to expose evils of Stalinism. How can this be explained?

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

his profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html

[mkirkpatrick]

It would seem to suggest that the younger generation in the USSR are not too interested in the past but are more centered towards the future and private enterprise.


regards michael.