Statue to Soviet dictator erected close to proposed memorial to his victims of political repression is labelled 'blasphemy’.
'The bust of Stalin that was erected today has been deemed illegal.' Picture: Denis Khanzhin
A row has erupted over the Stalin bust in the city of Surgut where many residents are the descendants of victims of political repression in Soviet times. Yekaterina Shvidkaya, spokeswoman for the Surgut administration, said: 'The bust of Stalin that was erected today has been deemed illegal.
'A commission... has approved a place nearby for installing a monument to the repressed and the funds are being collected.' She predicted the bust close to the Ob River 'will be removed'.
Another group applied in May to erect a bust to the USSR's wartime leader.
'Erecting the monument here is blasphemy.' Pictures: Denis Khanzhin
A decision was taken that the dispute should be solved by a public council due to be set up after elections to the State Duma - Russia's lower house of parliament - on 18 September.
Despite this, activists created their own council that decided in favour of putting up the statue.
Pavel Akimov, who initiated the installation of a monument to former political prisoners, condemned the plans to build a Stalin statue nearby.
'The tears of those people who had been sent here have not dried yet,' he said, according to TASS. 'Some 9,000 people were deported in 1932 - that is half of this community's citizens. Erecting the monument here is blasphemy.'
activists created their own council that decided in favour of putting up the statue. Pictures: Denis Khanzhin, URA.ru
The administration of Surgut, in the Khanty-Mansi autonomous region, said tensions flared over proposed installation of the monument due to the historic memories of the local citizens.
'Political prisoners were deported here, there was a whole village with people in exile,' said a local official. 'Now their relatives live in Surgut and, of course, they have a very negative assessment of the situation.'
Surgut was a key location in Stalin's gulag forced-labour-camp system, in which hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens served prison terms after politically-motivated sentences.
Surgut was a key location in Stalin's gulag forced-labour-camp system, in which hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens served prison terms. Picture: The Siberian Times
Archeologists discovered a new stone bracelet, two sharp pins, a marble ring and fox tooth pendants.
Comments (4)
Anyone interested should have a look into Mannerheim as he has a very interesting background and history in Russia from taking part in the Russo-Japanese war and traveling through many parts of central Asia etc., there are several documentaries also on Youtube.