Historian Catherine Merridale on Putin's Ukraine War, Stalin's Legacy, and Moscow's Metro

The Invasion of Ukraine as an Extension of Past Brutality

• 💔 The invasion of Ukraine is described as a heartbreaking extension of the collapse of tyranny and communism experienced in the 1990s.
• 🇷🇺 This mirrors the "brutal" grip of Joseph Stalin on the Soviet Union, with recent attempts to revive his legacy in contemporary Russia.

The Moscow Metro: A Palace for the People

• 🚇 Unlike the London Tube, the Moscow Metro was built as a "palace for their workers underground," featuring grandiose stations with beautiful decorations.
• 🎨 The old Stalinist stations from the 1930s are considered works of art, though also "works of totalitarian art" designed to convey a specific message.
• 🐕 A specific station, Reuti, is highlighted for its statues of people with guns and guard dogs, symbolizing a country in a state of permanent war.

Stalin's Rehabilitation and Historical Memory

• 📈 There's a recent rehabilitation of Stalin in Russian discourse, building on nostalgia for a past perceived as certain, safe, and free from shortages.
• 🧠 For many, Stalin represents nostalgia and strength, representing an imagined version of the leader rather than the historical figure known for massacres.
• 🚫 A small minority, particularly those in organizations like Memorial, focus on commemorating Stalin's victims, while many others prefer not to discuss the massacres, attributing them to Hitler or focusing on Russia's victory in WWII.

Personal Reflections on Russia and the War

• 🗣️ The author, Catherine Merridale, has not visited Russia since 2018 and does not wish to return, to avoid colluding with the war or ending up imprisoned.
• 🌍 She misses her friends in Russia, many of whom have left since the beginning of the war, but she misses those who remain.
• 🇷🇺 Merridale hopes to live to see a "beautiful new Russia," but believes it will be a long time coming.