RAW VIDEO: Russian Communists Mark 60th Anniversary of Stalin's Death

Russian Communists and their supporters lay flowers at Stalin's tomb at the Red Square in Moscow on March 5, 2013 as they mark the 60th anniversary of his death.

Published

3 months ago

Categories

Arts & Society, World

Topics

History, Europe

People

Joseph Stalin

Places

Russia, Moscow

Transcript

SHOTLIST: MOSCOW, MARCH 5, 2013, SOURCE: AFP -Preparation of the march -Communists carrying red flags and portraits of Stalin prepare for a march -Communists march to Red Square -Communists lay flowers at Stalin's tomb -Communists leave Red Square --------------------------- AFP TEXT STORY: Russia-politics-Stalin-history Russia divided on Stalin 60 years after his death by Olga Rotenberg MOSCOW, March 05, 2013 (AFP) - Russia on Tuesday marked the 60th anniversary of Joseph Stalin's death, with hundreds laying flowers at the Red Square grave of the Soviet dictator, while others said they welcomed his passing because it brought an end to mass terror. Hundreds laid red carnations beside the bust of the Soviet ruler by the Kremlin wall, where his body was buried in 1961 after being displayed for several years alongside that of Lenin in the Mausoleum. "I flew in from Kamchatka," said Larisa Tokunova, a 50-year-old lawyer from Russia's easternmost region, calling Stalin a "genius" who turned the Soviet Union into a superpower. "If we manage to restore our country, it can only be according to his plan," she said. "There were repressions, but they should not overshadow the greatness achieved by the country," said 48-year-old businessman Roman Fomin. "For many Stalin means victory, economic growth and prosperity. Many people would like his return." "I haven't heard anything about victims. Those in prison then were criminals," said 25-year-old Marat Muzayev. "Stalin is victory in the war.. He symbolises love for the motherland and the government." The role of Stalin in Russia's history has split society for decades, and continues to do so today. His image is openly used in Victory Day celebrations for the end of World War II on May 9. The 1930s-era purges, the murderous collectivisation of the peasantry, and the feared network of GULAG camps under Stalin that together claimed millions of lives are largely absent from the public discourse. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president between 2008 and 2012, has said he views Stalin's legacy "negatively" and even attempted a destalinisation campaign. President Vladimir Putin, however, has avoided any positive or negative evaluation of the Soviet leader. In a poll this month by independent Levada Centre, 49 percent of Russians said they viewed Stalin's role as positive, while 32 percent disagreed. However most people indicated that his death was actually a good thing. Fifty-five percent said the date for them marked the end of terror and purges and the return of many wrongly convicted people from the camps. Only 18 percent said they associated the date with the loss of a great leader. Most people also were not thrilled by a proposal from the Russian authorities to return the Soviet-era name of Stalingrad to the city of Volgograd, where a defining World War II battle was held, with 55 percent saying the name should stay as it is. Stalin died at the age of 74 at his dacha outside the capital in the evening, but information about his death was not communicated by the authorities for hours, and many conspiracy theories suggest that he was murdered by his inner circle. His body was later displayed in Moscow, and hordes of people attempted to get one last glimpse of the leader. Thousands are believed to have been crushed to death by the crowd during his funeral, although official figures have never been published. National channel NTV began airing a six-part historical documentary series titled "Stalin is with us" over the weekend. "Stalin is always with us and divides us as if he were standing for elections tomorrow," the show's narrator said. "Attempts to deny the crimes of the Soviet state are doomed to failure," said business daily Vedomosti in an editorial on Tuesday. "But there is still no agreement regarding the significance of the Stalin period in Soviet history."