'To return to its former greatness': a monument to Stalin will be erected in unrecognized South Ossetia

An attempt to revive the memorial legacy of the “leader of the peoples” is financed by the head coach of the Russian freestyle wrestling team Dzambolat Tedeev, writes "Voice of America".

Photo: Shutterstock

In separatist South Ossetia, plans to erect a three-meter monument to Joseph Stalin. The initiator of such a project is the head coach of the Russian national freestyle wrestling team Dzambolat Tedeev, who allocated money for the construction of Stalin Square in his native village Tsnorisi, and also acquired a Stalin monument from the Ossetian sculptor Ibragim Khayev. According to the project, the figure of Stalin will be placed in the center of the square.

“Initially, the monument was made, as they say, for myself. But Dzambolat Tedeev decided to buy my work, ”local media quoted Khayev.

Many in the Tskhinvali region, as well as in North Ossetia, regard Stalin as an ethnic Ossetian, although according to official figures, Joseph Dzhugashvili was an ethnic Georgian.

It is noteworthy that in 1934 the capital of South Ossetia was renamed Stalinir - in honor of the Soviet leader. The historical name of Tskhinvali was returned to the city in 1961.

According to the decree of the de facto South Ossetian President Anatoly Bibilov, the old name of the city of Tskhinvali "Stalinir" was alternatively used this year as the capital of separatist South Ossetia during the events associated with the Second World War.

It is noteworthy that similar decisions were made by separatist leaders in Ukraine. So, according to the decrees of the local de facto authorities, in the days associated with the memory of the Second World War, in relation to Donetsk it was decided to use its former name - “the city of Stalino”, and in relation to Luhansk - “the city of Voroshilovgrad”.

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Prohibited Symbols

Since 2011, the use of communist and Nazi symbols has been prohibited on the territory of the rest of Georgia, controlled by Tbilisi. In 2013, the Georgian parliament adopted amendments to the Freedom Charter law, according to which persons promoting communist and fascist symbols will first receive a warning, and in the event of a repetition of such an offense, they can be fined about $ 600. As the initiators of the amendments stated then, the reason for the amendments to the existing law was the fact that the restoration of monuments to Joseph Stalin became more frequent in Georgia. The vote on amendments to the Freedom Charter was one of those rare cases when opposition and ruling MPs took a single position. The Parliament of Georgia adopted the bill in the second hearing by 83 votes to 3.

The largest monument to Stalin in Georgia was located in the central square of the city of Gori, where Dzhugashvili was born, and was dismantled in June 2010. The Georgian authorities intended to move the monument to the territory of Stalin's house-museum, however, the six-meter figure of Stalin, erected during his lifetime in 1952, is still in one of the warehouses.

In 2011, the Georgian authorities announced plans to erect a memorial in Gori in memory of those killed during the August 2008 war and victims of Soviet repression. The memorial was supposed to take the place of the dismantled monument to Stalin. However, this project was never implemented.

"Brand building"

Professor of the Georgian Institute of Public Administration Tornike Sharashenidze believes: supporting the myth that Joseph Stalin was an Ossetian, and erecting a monument to him, in separatist South Ossetia they are trying thereby to arouse interest in this region, which, according to the expert, is not visited by tourists. At the same time, Sharashenidze recalled that, for example, according to statistics, the functioning Stalin Museum in Gori is the most visited museum in Georgia.

"In Tskhinvali, they are trying to use Stalin as a 'brand' to attract attention," Sharashenidze said in a comment for the Russian service of the Voice of America.

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"Compensating for Uncertainty"

Giorgi Mchedlishvili from the University of Europe is not surprised that attempts to revive the cult of Stalin are being made in the separatist formations supported by Russia. He explains this by the fact that for the last two decades the Russian Federation has been engaged in "reshaping history" and attempts to return "its former greatness."

“The figure of Stalin, under whose rule the Union became an industrial state, and even with nuclear weapons and the main force against Nazism, is the best fit for such a narrative. Naturally, against this background, the negative aspects of Stalin's rule are hushed up or minimized, such as the alliance with Hitler until 1941, as well as massive repressions against their own people, ”the political scientist says.

In the case of North and South Ossetia, according to Mchedlishvili, the version that Stalin was an Ossetian "flatters the pride of a small people." As the expert notes, even in Georgia there are often people who admire Stalin and his Georgian origins.

“Especially in times of poverty and unemployment, having a major international figure in your nation somehow compensates for the lack of confidence and lack of self-esteem. In today's Tskhinvali region, along with poverty and corruption, self-perception is even more flawed due to the lack of recognition of this territorial entity torn away from Georgia, therefore “Stalin's ownership” is a great compensation for this inferiority. In addition, by this Tskhinvali underlines its loyalty to Russia, in particular to Putin, who plays a major role in restoring the image of the “leader of the peoples,” summed up Georgy Mchedlishvili.

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