Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was voted Russia's third most popular historical figure in a nationwide poll that ended this weekend. Stalin's notable superlative comes despite the famine and purges (which included sending people to labor camps and millions of deaths) that marked his dictatorship.
The "Name of Russia" contest was run by the Rossiya state television channel for about six months and closed Sunday night with a final vote from the Internet or cell phones. It drew more than 50 million votes out of the nation's 143 million citizens.
Stalin was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. Millions of Soviets died from famine during forced collectivization, were executed as "enemies of the people" or died in hard labor camps during his rule.
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I'm guessing what we consider "good for the country" very differently her in America. Someone like Stalin would be a mass murderer in a "free" society.
1How quickly people forget eating wallpaper paste and being shot in the square.
2I will give him credit for helping keep his country safe during WWII, but that doesn't make up for all the "re-education" that went on.
3Luckily he's only won 11% of the votes. That doesn't really surprise me.
4Joe... Joe... Joe... Stalin?
Stalin. Stalin. Do I know that name? It sounds familiar.
Well, it does not ring a bell with me.
Joe Stalin. You know, that's pretty good.
Might wanna try, "Joseph."
Joseph Stalin. I think you'd remember that!
5@ em1282 : As much as I want to forget Friends, I can't ! This series is engraved in my DNA, I think. Damn !
@ UnDave35 : I absolutely WON'T give him credit for defeating Hitler during WWII. This dictator first signed a peace agreement with Hitler in August 1939 (coming on terms with the "devil" in order to keep your country safe is never a good solution - look what happened afterwards) and then sent many many of his men to death because of his poor military strategy ?
20 millions of Russians died because of WWII. I wouldn't call that "keeping the country safe". And you might find this preposterous, but one of the main causes that defeated the German army was... WINTER ! Snow, negative temperatures, and their scorched earth policy... After all, it had previously worked with Napoleon...
6Maybe "popular" means "most well known"? Like the popular kids in high school... No one actually LIKES them, everyone just KNOWS them.
7CaterpillarGirl, on an unrelated note, I LOVE your hair color.
8thank you Monday, Its Feria Ruby Rush.
9"I will give him credit for helping keep his country safe during WWII, but that doesn't make up for all the "re-education" that went on."
Leaders get too much credit for "leading through tough times" to the point where people forget/ignore terrible policy. Case in point, FDR.
10Seems to me, that's exactly what Bush is counting on.
11Heh, I don't disagree with you Stephley. Both GW and FDR's policies deserve fair scrutiny.
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