Stalin Voted Third Greatest Russian
Thursday January 1, 2009
For about six months, Russia's state television channel ran a contest called "The Name of Russia," which asked people to vote for the greatest Russian in history. The list of potential greatest Russians began at 500 and dwindled down to 12 by the time of the final voting. When the voting ended on Sunday, December 28, 2008 with over 50 million votes cast, the results were a bit surprising.
First place was awarded to Russian Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, who successfully defended Russia during an invasion of Swedes and Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. Second place went to Russian Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, who is known for brutally repressing revolutionary groups as well as making a valiant attempt to create agrarian reforms while serving under Czar Nicholas II in the first decade of the 20th century. Third place went to the brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who was responsible for the deaths of millions of his own people.
Runners up for the greatest Russian of all time included V.I. Lenin, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Dmitri Mendeleyev.
Comments
Results are not surprising given historic Russian paranoia and the reemergence of the totalitarian state.
…recently on TV Russians were polled, asking them if any would like the totalitarian state back, and end capitalism in their country…70% said they liked totalitarianism best….not because of strict rule, but their needs were met by the state, like rent at $13 yearly.
After reintroduction of totalitarianism and faced with strict rules and curtailment of freedom the same percentage of people may like to revert to the openness and freedom. It only displays fickleness of human taste, not a permanent fixture.
This is ridiculous. Stalin was a monster of titanic stature and to offer this ogre a place in Russian history is to be oblivious of a country that has offered civilization the likes of Leo Tolstoy, Tchaikovskyj, Rimsky Korsavov, and a host of brilliant minds of a quality that surpasses by far what other countries can hold a candle to. Viva Russia a country of immense value to the human experience.
I remember an essay question from high school: ‘Concentration on Stalin’s totalitarian terror ignores the achievements of his regime’. To put Nicholas II above Stalin would be a joke.