{"id":11595,"date":"2019-03-07T07:48:16","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T07:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=11595"},"modified":"2019-04-10T00:56:49","modified_gmt":"2019-04-10T00:56:49","slug":"3-march-political-anniversaries-in-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/3-march-political-anniversaries-in-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"3 March Political Anniversaries in Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"

I follow several Russian news outlets and commentators on social media, and this past week has been filled with anniversaries having to do with politics. As much as I love Russian party games<\/a> or quirky memes<\/a>, I realize that many “Russia aficionados,” especially abroad, are more interested in and familiar with Russian history and politics. Even for the apolitical, the events commemorated this week are worth reflecting on.<\/p>\n

\"calendar\"

Photo by\u00a0rawpixel<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Stalin’s Death<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (\u0418\u043e\u0301\u0441\u0438\u0444 \u0421\u0442\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0438\u043d<\/strong>), known for his brutality, died on March 5, 1953. The Russian human-rights portal Mediazona (\u041c\u0435\u0434\u0438\u0430\u0437\u043e\u0301\u043d\u0430<\/strong>), devoted to the issues of policing and the rights of people in the criminal justice system, featured a collection of reactions<\/a> to his death by survivors of his terror and their descendants.<\/p>\n

One such person, Irina Kryzhanovskaya (\u0418\u0440\u0438\u0301\u043d\u0430 \u041a\u0440\u044b\u0436\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0301\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f<\/strong>), whose father was arrested and executed by a firing squad, remembers:<\/p>\n

\u041a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430\u0301 \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440 \u0421\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0301\u043d, \u043c\u044b \u043f\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u0441 \u043c\u0430\u0301\u043c\u043e\u0439. \u041d\u043e \u043c\u044b \u0435\u0433\u043e\u0301 \u043d\u0435 \u0436\u0430\u043b\u0435\u0301\u043b\u0438. \u041c\u044b \u043f\u043b\u0430\u0301\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u043e\u0442 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0445\u0430. \u041a\u0442\u043e \u0435\u0449\u0451? \u041a\u0442\u043e \u0435\u0449\u0451? \u0415\u0449\u0451 \u0445\u0443\u0301\u0436\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0301\u0434\u0435\u0442!<\/p>\n

When Stalin died, my mother and I cried. But we didn’t feel bad for him. We were crying with fear. Now who? Now who? They will be even worse!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other survivors remember genuinely grieving for Stalin after his death. Zoya Vyskrebentseva (\u0417\u043e\u0301\u044f \u0412\u044b\u0441\u043a\u0440\u0435\u0431\u0435\u043d\u0446\u0435\u0432\u0430<\/strong>), who was sentenced to 20 years of labor camps for dating a US embassy employee, wrote:<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0430\u0301\u0436\u0435 \u0432 \u043b\u0430\u0301\u0433\u0435\u0440\u0435, \u043a\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430\u0301 \u043d\u0430\u043c \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0301\u043b\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043e\u043d \u0443\u043c\u0435\u0440, \u043c\u044b \u0432\u0441\u0435 \u0442\u0430\u043c, \u0434\u0443\u0301\u0440\u044b, \u0440\u0435\u0432\u0435\u0301\u043b\u0438 \u0432 \u0442\u0440\u0438 \u0440\u0443\u0447\u044c\u044f\u0301. \u0413\u0434\u0435\u0301-\u0442\u043e \u043d\u0430\u043c \u0432\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0431\u0438\u0301\u043b\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u044d\u0301\u0442\u043e \u0441\u0430\u0301\u043c\u044b\u0439-\u0441\u0430\u0301\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u043e\u0301\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0439, \u0441\u0430\u0301\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0301\u0432\u043d\u044b\u0439, \u0441\u0430\u0301\u043c\u044b\u0439 \u0445\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0301\u0448\u0438\u0439 \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0301\u043a.<\/p>\n

Even in the camp, when they told us he had died, all us silly girl cried our eyes out. Somewhere along along the road, they convinced us that he was the kindest, most important, best person.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stalin was initially buried in the Mausoleum on Red Square, alongside Lenin, and later moved to the Kremlin wall. There has been some talk about moving his body elsewhere. This year, a man was detained<\/a> for throwing flowers on Stalin’s grave and shouting “Burn in hell!” (“\u0413\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0301 \u0432 \u0430\u0434\u0443\u0301<\/strong>!”)<\/p>\n

\"birthday

Photo by\u00a0Christopher Martyn<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Gorbachev’s 88th Birthday<\/h2>\n

Another big date was March 2, when former (and only!) Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev (\u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u043b \u0413\u043e\u0440\u0431\u0430\u0447\u0451\u0432) turned 88. Gorbachev is known for the disarmament treaties (\u0434\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0301\u0440\u044b \u043e \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043e\u0440\u0443\u0436\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u0438<\/strong>) he negotiated with the US. However, back in Russia, many fault him for “breaking up” the USSR (\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0430\u0301\u043b \u0421\u0421\u0421\u0420<\/strong>). Here is how he commented on the reasons behind that break-up in an interview<\/a> 2 years ago:<\/p>\n

\u0423 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u043e\u0434\u043d\u0430\u0301 \u0438\u0437 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0438\u0301\u043d \u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e\u0301, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0430\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c \u043c\u043e\u0301\u0449\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u0435\u0440\u044c\u0451\u0437\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0301\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e, \u2015 \u044d\u0301\u0442\u043e \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0301\u0446\u0438\u044f \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0301\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u043a\u0430\u0301\u0434\u0440\u043e\u0432. \u0423\u0436 \u043e\u0301\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0438\u043c \u0445\u043e\u0442\u0435\u0301\u043b\u043e\u0441\u044c \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0301\u0432\u0438\u0442\u044c.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons our powerful, formidable state fell apart is the attitude of the regional leaders. They really wanted to rule.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One-Year Anniversary of Skripal Poisoning<\/h2>\n

March 4 marked the first anniversary of the Skripal case<\/a>, when a former Russian intelligence agent was allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent. The Russian government denied any involvement, but investigative journalists have published evidence linking this case to Russian military intelligence operatives.<\/p>\n

This year, UK Prime Minister (\u043f\u0440\u0435\u043c\u044c\u0435\u0301\u0440-\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0301\u0441\u0442\u0440<\/strong>) Theresa May visited Salisbury<\/a> (\u0421\u043e\u0301\u043b\u0441\u0431\u0435\u0440\u0438<\/strong>), where the poisoning took place. In the meantime, the Political Science department of Moscow State University, known in Russian as \u041c\u0413\u0423<\/strong>, announced its inaugural Skripal Lecture (\u0421\u043a\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0430\u0301\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0447\u0442\u0435\u0301\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong>), named after the intended victim of the attack, and reportedly invited the two men accused of perpetrating the poisoning. The department later denied<\/a> inviting the two and explained that the invitation was an edgy joke by the professor in charge of the conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"calendar\"

I follow several Russian news outlets and commentators on social media, and this past week has been filled with anniversaries having to do with politics. As much as I love Russian party games or quirky memes, I realize that many “Russia aficionados,” especially abroad, are more interested in and familiar with Russian history and politics…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":11601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[178,179],"tags":[359597,507349,507348,11644,1319,8286],"class_list":["post-11595","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-news","tag-gorbachev","tag-intelligence-agencies","tag-skripal","tag-soviet-history","tag-stalin","tag-ussr"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11595"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11659,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11595\/revisions\/11659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}