It’s been a bad couple of days in Russia.

First came two bridge collapses in the western part of the country, not far from the borders with Ukraine and Belarus. The first bridge — in the Bryansk region — together with the vehicles that had been crossing it, collapsed onto a train passing below, killing at least eight people en route to Moscow on May 31st. Initial reports said that the collapse was caused by “illegal interference,” but offered no further details.

In the second incident — in the Kursk region, just 90 km. from Bryansk — a railway bridge collapsed as a freight train was crossing it around 3:00 a.m. on June 1st.

And then came Ukraine’s massive drone attack, knocking out about a third of Russia’s fleet of strategic long-range bombers.

And all of it on the heels of a failed negotiation in Istanbul on May 16th and a fruitless two-hour phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on May 19th. Putin “offered” another meeting to be held in Istanbul today, June 2nd, and said he would submit a “memorandum” of issues to be discussed at that meeting . . .

. . . to which Trump, ever compliant to Putin’s wishes, agreed.

*. *. *

Well, the two weeks have passed; no presentation has been forthcoming from Moscow; and delegations from Russia and Ukraine met today in Istanbul as scheduled.

First, the good news: Another major prisoner exchange was agreed, involving “at least 1,000” from each side, according to Russia’s delegation leader, Vladimir Medinsky. His Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, said the two sides had agreed to “exchange all-for-all seriously wounded and seriously sick prisoners of war. The second category is young soldiers who are from 18 to 25 years old — all-for-all.” [RFE/RL, June 2, 2025.]

But what about peace talks, or at least ceasefire negotiations?

In a meeting that lasted just over an hour, with talking points being provided by each side only in the last moments before the meeting, it was not surprising to hear from Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli:

“The meeting is over. It didn’t end negatively.” [Id.]

But it didn’t end positively, either. Following yesterday’s massive attacks on Russia’s airfields, one might have expected Putin’s delegation to show at least a hint of humility, perhaps even an indication that they might be considering some concessions. On the other hand, the magnitude and the unexpected nature of those attacks will have taken Kremlin officials completely by surprise, giving them no time to assess the damage, much less to formulate a response.

The U.S. State Department has said that, on the day before the meeting — the day of the drone attacks in Russia — Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov . . . at Lavrov’s request.

The nature of their discussion has not been reported. But if I were a betting woman, I might be willing to wager that some agreement was reached between them to put further negotiations on hold until Moscow could catch its collective breath . . . thus explaining the brevity of the meeting and its ending in a very positive prisoner swap agreement, but nothing more.

Of course, there is the question of what will happen when the Kremlin has had time to fully process these developments. In the best-case scenario, Putin — always unpredictable — could react rationally, realize that his position has been somewhat weakened, and finally begin to negotiate in earnest. Or he could do what he and every autocrat throughout history have always done: let his megalomania and his temper get the upper hand, and escalate the fight.

This is also the moment for the U.S. and European leaders to consider — and perhaps reconsider — their next moves.

All of which reinforces my decision, made many years ago, not to go into show business, politics, or diplomacy. It’s much more comfortable out here in the audience.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/2/25

Never underestimate the underdog.

And never . . . EVER . . . underestimate the people of Ukraine!

For the past three years and three months — and particularly during the four months of the current U.S. administration — Vladimir Putin has been leading the world on a merry chase, proclaiming his desire to end the “special military operation” against Ukraine while carrying on an unceasing barrage of bombs, missiles, drones and ground forces, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of military troops and civilians on both sides of the conflict.

And Donald Trump has continued to make excuses for his “friend” in the Kremlin, swallowing whole the platitudes, the side-eyed flattery, and the outright lies. He has even aided Putin by pressing Ukraine to make concessions that Trump himself would never consider making to an aggressor.

Worse, Trump humiliated Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the Oval Office in front of the world’s media, calling him down for wearing his country’s military-style shirt instead of a business suit, and for not saying “Thank you, O Great and Powerful Benefactor” often enough — or obsequiously enough — to satisfy Trump’s bloated ego.

But now — on the eve of a scheduled meeting in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations — Ukraine has proven to Putin, to Trump, and to the world that it is not a weakling to be taken advantage of, but a nation of strong and capable people determined and able to fight back on Russia’s own terms.

What they did yesterday was so brilliantly conceived, so intricately planned, and so audaciously carried out that it almost defies description. According to early reports, over a period of 18 months, scores of small drones have been smuggled into Russia, stored in special compartments on freight trucks, driven to four or more separate locations thousands of miles apart, and finally — and successfully — launched remotely toward nearby air bases.

As Ukrainian defense analyst Serhii Kuzan told Ukrainian TV: “No intelligence operation in the world has done anything like this before. These strategic bombers are capable of launching long-range strikes against us. There are only 120 of them and we struck 40. That’s an incredible figure.” [Paul Adams, BBC, June 1, 2025.]

The bombers to which Kuzan referred included strategic missile-carrying aircraft that are no longer in production, and will be difficult or impossible for Russia to replace. Ukrainian military blogger Oleksandr Kovalenko, describing the impact as “enormous,” wrote on Telegram:

“The extent of the damage is such that the Russian military-industrial complex, in its current state, is unlikely to be able to restore them in the near future. Today, the Russian Aerospace Forces lost not just two of their rarest aircraft, but truly two unicorns in the herd.” [Id.]

While the extent of the physical and monetary loss has not yet been verified, the psychological effect of the operation cannot be understated. One BBC journalist, Svyatoslav Khomenko, was recently told by a Ukrainian official:

“The biggest problem is that the Americans have convinced themselves we’ve already lost the war. And from that assumption everything else follows.” [Id.]

In addition, Ukrainian defense journalist Illia Ponomarenko had this to say on X, obviously referring to that disgraceful Oval Office performance:

“This is what happens when a proud nation under attack doesn’t listen to all those: ‘Ukraine has only six months left.’ ‘You have no cards.’ ‘Just surrender for peace, Russia cannot lose.’” [Id.]

And a tweet from the journal Business Ukraine offered this comment:

“It turns out Ukraine does have some cards after all. Today Zelensky played the King of Drones.” [Id.]

Svyatoslav Khomenko’s unnamed Ukrainian official summed it up rather nicely:

“[The Americans] begin acting as if their role is to negotiate for us the softest possible terms of surrender. And then they’re offended when we don’t thank them. But of course we don’t — because we don’t believe we’ve been defeated.” [Id.]

Vladimir Putin wanted this war; he started it on February 24, 2022; and he has kept it going despite offers of peace talks and negotiations. But now it has hit home . . . and hard. Someone should have warned him to be careful what he wished for.

Well done, Ukraine! I look forward to seeing what happens in Istanbul today . . . but with trepidation, because how Putin will react is anyone’s guess.

As of this writing, the Russian delegation is said to have already arrived in Istanbul; and Kyiv has reported that its delegation will be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, backed by at least a dozen other officials. [RFE/RL, June 2, 2025.]

Stay tuned.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/2/25

Well, not literally . . . I’m not Buddha, after all.

But while down with a 48-hour bug earlier this week — garbed in pajamas and a bathrobe, and without sufficient energy to do more than change the TV channel — I had ample time to contemplate a number of things. While most of those thoughts don’t bear repeating (in fact, they didn’t warrant much consideration the first time around), I did have one realization about my life in retirement that I thought I might share with you: the importance of comfort.

I was always one who subscribed to the “dress to impress” philosophy. Working in Washington, D.C., law firms in the years of business suits, girdles and panty hose, I accumulated a fairly substantial professional wardrobe. Weekends were more casual, of course; but in those days, going out to dinner or a party meant dressing up. Does anyone else remember cocktail dresses?

At the time, there was a woman living in my apartment building who was my role model. I recall her bragging when she reached her 92nd birthday; yet I had thought she couldn’t be more than 80, if that. She was a beautiful woman, vibrant and always impeccably dressed as though she might be headed for a board meeting, or lunch at an elegant restaurant. And I decided that that’s how I wanted to enjoy my golden years.

Yeah . . . right.

To begin with, I didn’t take into consideration the fact that everyone ages differently. That beautiful nonagenarian was obviously genetically blessed; me . . . not so much. I hadn’t counted on the aches and pains of advancing years, or the possibility that I might have inherited a few ailments from my father’s side.

I also didn’t foresee leaving the craziness of Washington for the quietude of the southern countryside, where “dressing up” means wearing jeans without rips and a tee shirt without a logo.

So I’ve adapted. No, that doesn’t mean I regularly hang out in PJs or sweats. But now that I spend more time at home than going out, I’ve come to realize that the dog doesn’t give a damn what I look like, so I may as well relax. I’ve decided that age must have its compensations, so that comfort has finally become more important than fashion.

And since I tend to reduce most of my thoughts to writing, I’ve even dedicated a little verse to my newfound philosophy. I call it, brilliantly, “Comfort,” and I herewith inflict it upon you as your reward for having read this far:

*. *. *

COMFORT

I cannot bear
A bra to wear
While sitting ‘round the house.

And shoes, I claim,
Are much the same …
It’s comfort I espouse.

Though jewelry
Adds revelry
When on the town I roam,

Those rings and things
Discomfort bring
Whilst hanging out at home.

And ‘round my waist
I have no taste
For anything that’s fitted.

To wear a belt,
Or jeans so svelte,
I’d have to be dim-witted.

Elastic waists
Are more my taste,
And slippers for my toes.

Loose clothes, I find,
Don’t squeeze or bind,
Avoiding further woes.

I still admire
Couture attire,
On movie stars and others.

But as for me,
I do not see
Their worth for us grandmothers.

We’ve had our years
Of joys and tears,
Careers and raising kiddies.

We’ve earned the right
To some delight,
Now that we’re all old biddies.

Now is the time,
While in our prime,
To say goodbye to vanity,

To seek instead
A calmer head,
And things that bring us sanity.

To find repose
In looser clothes,
Sans jewels, belts or makeup,

To comfort find,
And peace of mind,
Avoiding mental breakup.

It’s comfort here,
And comfort there,
And comfort all around.

It’s what I need,
My soul to feed …
Before I’m in the ground.

*. *. *

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/1/25

This week’s message of moral support to Putin’s political hostages is offered in the shadow of yet another Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiation, optimistically scheduled for tomorrow, June 2nd, in Istanbul.

But neither the urgency of the effort to end Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, nor any of the other ongoing crises capturing each day’s headlines, should detract from the continuing plight of those individuals being unjustly held by the Putin regime.

So once again we remember:

The People of Ukraine
The Azov 12
David Barnes
Ales Bialiatski (in Belarus)
Gordon Black
Andrei Chapiuk (in Belarus)
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Sergey Karelin
Ihar Karney (in Belarus) on
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Uladzimir Labkovich (in Belarus)
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Ihar Losik (in Belarus)
Mikita Losik (in Belarus)
Daniel Martindale
Farid Mehralizada (in Azerbaijan)
Nika Novak
Marfa Rabkova (in Belarus)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Eugene Spector
Valiantsin Stafanovic (in Belarus)
Siarhei Tsikhanouski (in Belarus)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland
Vladislav Yesypenko (in Crimea)
Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)

. . . and any others I may have missed.

Know that you are not forgotten, and that efforts toward your homecoming continue.

Please stay strong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/1/25

> Three meetings in Russia — in February, March and April — between Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff produced nothing.

> A face-to-face meeting scheduled for May 15-16 in Istanbul — suggested by Vladimir Putin himself, and believed to be between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — devolved into a low-level delegation from Moscow showing up without their leader, and Zelensky withdrawing in the face of the intentional insult. It ended with the two leaderless delegations agreeing to a prisoner-of-war swap, but no progress toward a ceasefire or serious end-of-war negotiations.

> A one-on-one telephone call between Putin and Donald Trump on May 19th lasted two hours, and again, nothing came of it . . .

. . . except that Putin agreed to another meeting in Istanbul on Monday, June 2nd. And he offered to present a “memorandum” of proposed talking points for the meeting, setting forth Russia’s requirements for a settlement. Zelensky again demanded an immediate 30-day ceasefire pending further talks, but was once more rebuffed.

A proposed agenda has been submitted by Kyiv, but nothing has been forthcoming from Moscow . . . word from the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, being that Moscow’s conditions for a ceasefire would be discussed in Turkey, and not before.

And now, just one day before the scheduled June 2nd meeting, as Russia’s forces continue to rain death and destruction on Ukraine, Putin keeps the world waiting to find out what his next delaying tactic will be.

Only this time, Zelensky is also threatening not to waste another trip to Turkiye in light of Putin’s continuing refusal to commit to a ceasefire, or even to submit his promised “memorandum” ahead of the meeting.

If this were an old radio soap opera, the announcer would be telling us to “stay tuned for tomorrow’s exciting episode of . . .”

Unfortunately, this is not a soap opera; it’s real life. But there is one similarity: that tingling feeling of suspense just before the show starts — wondering whether the villain of the drama has been plotting some new evil behind the scenes, only to spring, once again, on his hapless victim at the 11th hour . . . or, perhaps, whether this time the intended victim will finally have called the villain’s bluff.

So I guess we will have to stay tuned after all. We’ll be back with you tomorrow . . . same time, same station.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/1/25

Twelve years ago, Edward Joseph Snowden — a computer security consultant working for Booz Allen Hamilton, which held a contract with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) — became disillusioned with programs with which he was involved, and raised his concerns within the company. But he was ignored, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Taking medical leave from his job, he traveled to Hong Kong on May 20, 2013, where he leaked to journalists thousands of documents of highly classified NSA information concerning global surveillance programs involving both the United States and some European governments.

On June 21, 2013, charges against Snowden were entered by the U.S. Department of Justice, consisting of two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property. The State Department revoked his passport, and two days later, Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow.

Since his U.S. passport had been revoked, he was forced to spend more than a month in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport . . . officially stateless, and thus unable to return to the U.S., but restricted from leaving the airport terminal. (Yes, it does sound like the plot of a 2004 Tom Hanks movie.)

Finally, Snowden was granted asylum by Vladimir Putin, who was undoubtedly delighted at the propaganda value of Snowden’s situation . . . not to mention the prospect of obtaining possibly valuable information from him in the future.

Over the years, he has continued through the process of obtaining temporary residency, then permanent residency, and finally — in September of 2022 — Russian citizenship and a Russian passport. And recent records show that he has been issued a Russian tax ID number. [Andrei Soshnikov, et al., RFE/RL, May 30, 2025.]

*. *. *

Snowden is said to be working currently for a Russian IT company, and living in the Moscow suburb of Lyubertsy . . . not the choicest of locations. [Id.] (I had occasion to visit there in 1992, where I met with the town’s then mayor and a group of educators, at a time when it was best known as the home of some of Russia’s most violent “mafia” gangs. Hopefully, it’s improved since then.)

Snowden has long justified his actions as an effort “to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.” [Edward Snowden biography, Wikipedia.org.] And indeed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled, in the case of United States v. Moalin, 973 F.3d 977 (9th Cir. 2020), that one of the mass surveillance programs exposed by Snowden was illegal and possibly unconstitutional.

Public opinion has, of course, been divided between those who consider Snowden a hero for having the courage of his convictions, and those for whom the illegality of his actions takes precedence. Whether he is Don Quixote, or a traitor to his country, is not for me to decide.

What strikes me is the irony of his situation. Exiled from the country he allegedly tried to save from what he considered to be illegal and immoral surveillance, he is now consigned to spend perhaps the rest of his life in the country best known for its repressive surveillance and tyrannical control of its citizens and visitors alike.

And if I were able to speak to Edward Snowden to ask him just one question concerning his decision of 12 years ago, it would be this:

“How’s that working out for you?”

Sorry, Edward. Всего хорошего.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/31/25

I’m not sure how it found me, but I’ve spent the past 28 hours with something truly evil.

I don’t function well on just four hours of sleep and practically no food, so I’m putting the iPad back on the desk for a little while, and hoping to catch up on some much-needed Z-z-z-z-z. I should be vertical again by this afternoon. Meanwhile . . .

To sleep, perchance to dream.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/31/25

I’ve been away from Washington for five years now, and — as I’ve mentioned at least a few thousand times — I still miss it. It’s lovely and peaceful here in the country, but I’m a city girl, and I guess I’ll never change.

But lately, I find that I have fewer and fewer reasons to miss D.C. There are my old friends, of course, and my long-time doctors, dentist and hairdresser. I miss the familiar landmarks, buildings, perpendicular streets, and street signs on every corner. I still can’t tell one live oak tree from another, and there is no pattern to these country roads. Two miles from home, and I’m hopelessly lost. City streets are more logical.

And I have longed for the variety of activities that Washington offers: the theaters, museums, restaurants of every ethnicity, shops . . . you name it. Only now, I fear I would find that changed, and not for the better. I would not, for example, attend a Kennedy Center whose programming has been gutted by the anti-DEI forces of the current administration . . . and the loss of so many of the best performers who honorably refuse to appear there.

Nor would I enjoy roaming the numerous buildings of the Smithsonian Institution, only to find history being rewritten or erased entirely.

I hate to think that my favorite ethnic restaurants may be gone, their owners, chefs and wait staff summarily deported to some third-world country not their own.

And yesterday I read that some hare-brained Republican congressman from Florida — oh, what the hell! let’s name him — Greg Steube has introduced a bill to rename the Washington, D.C., subway system, long known as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (or WMATA), calling it instead the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access, or . . . drumroll please . . .

WMAGA.

And if that isn’t a sufficient suck-up to the emperor in the White House, he also wants to name the Metrorail system . . .

“The Trump Train.”

Oops, sorry . . . wrong fantasy!

But it’s not as though Steube hasn’t given this careful thought. Here is his rationalization:

“WMATA has received billions in federal assistance over the years and continues to face operational, safety, and fiscal challenges. In the spirit of DOGE, this bill demands accountability by conditioning federal funding on reforms that signal a cultural shift away from bureaucratic stagnation toward public-facing excellence and patriotism.” [Emily Brooks, The Hill, May 29, 2025.]

There is one word in that paragraph that worries me: patriotism. Because by “patriotism,” this administration really means — not love of one’s country — but all-encompassing, unquestioning, worshipful loyalty and obeisance to the exalted leader in the Oval Office. And that is to be a prerequisite for the privilege of being allowed to continue to exist.

By the way — in case you’re not already sufficiently impressed — Steube’s bill is only one of a number that have been introduced by Republicans taking advantage of Donald Trump’s name or brand. For example, Representative Addison McDowell of North Carolina proposes to name Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump (thereby erasing the memory of the late John Foster Dulles); and Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina has introduced a bill to issue a $250-denomination currency featuring Trump’s portrait. [Id.]

Hey, wait a second . . . aren’t those honors usually reserved for dead people?

At this point, I couldn’t help doing a little fantasizing of my own, and I have come up with a wonderful idea that would probably only add a few hundred million more dollars to Trump’s proposed budget increase of $3.8 trillion: How about a larger-than-life-size statue — gold-plated, of course — of himself in every traffic circle in Washington? Since there are about 36 major traffic circles, each containing its own little park, you wouldn’t be able to travel more than a few blocks without gazing upon his shiny countenance at least once.

If that isn’t worthy of Julius Caesar himself . . . well, I don’t know what is!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/30/25

It’s the match of the century, and it shows no sign of ending in the foreseeable future. So let’s see if we can recap what’s happened thus far.

It began with presidential envoy Steve Witkoff being ambushed in St. Petersburg in April, when he walked — alone, and without so much as an interpreter of his own — into a meeting with Putin, three seasoned Russian politicians, and their interpreter.

Then a presidential meeting was scheduled in Istanbul for May 15-16. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was ready; but Vladimir Putin was a no-show — despite Donald Trump’s stated willingness to join the discussion if Putin would do the same. In his place, Putin sent a lower-level delegation; Zelensky bowed out and met instead with Turkish President Erdogan; and once again . . . nothing happened.

But Putin magnanimously agreed to a one-on-one phone call with Trump on the following Monday, May 19th. This one actually did take place — Trump from the White House, Putin from somewhere along the Black Sea coast at the lovely resort of Sochi.

After two hours of discussing who-knows-what, all that was agreed was an exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine . . . a good thing in and of itself, but hardly the stuff of peace negotiations. Because all the while, the deadly attacks from the Russian side have continued unabated, and peace is no closer than it was three years ago.

Among much name-calling, sanction-threatening, and a yet-unfulfilled promise from Putin to submit a memorandum of his demands for further discussion, the newly-installed Pope Leo XIV even offered the Vatican as the site for negotiations. Not surprisingly, Putin declined the offer, choosing instead to suggest another try at a meeting in Istanbul on June 2nd.

But will Putin be there?

Nope. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov:

“Our delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present a memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary explanations during a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, June 2” . . . said memorandum to cover “all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis.” [RFE/RL, May 29, 2025.]

Medinsky, a former minister of culture, led Russia’s team at the May 16th meeting that proved to be such a waste of time and money.

Zelensky has already submitted Kyiv’s memorandum of talking points, and has demanded that Putin submit his memorandum in advance of the meeting . . . but to no avail.

And now Putin proposes simply to repeat the dog-and-pony show, again sending a mid-level delegation to set forth the same litany of outrageous, one-sided demands, thereby gaining more time to continue advancing his devastating war against Ukraine . . . and ultimately the rest of the former Soviet Bloc.

S.S.D.D.

*. *. *

How long this game of Putin’s will continue depends entirely on how long the patience of the rest of the world’s leaders holds out. Europe is uniting in developing broader sanctions — as well as arming itself, and Ukraine, against further incursions. Even Donald Trump is showing signs of impatience, though he has yet to follow through on any of his threats.

June 2nd is only three days away. I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/30/25

On March 5, 1953, the brutal leader of the Soviet Union died after suffering a stroke at his dacha on the outskirts of Moscow. He was embalmed, and interred four days later in a state funeral that drew a crowd of mourners so large, an estimated 109 people were trampled to death in the ensuing crush. Originally placed in the Lenin Mausoleum, his body was later moved and to this day remains buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis adjoining Red Square. He is definitely dead.

During a period of “de-Stalinization” following his death, most statues and other likenesses of the former dictator were removed.

But he refuses to remain dead . . . because there always seems to be a segment of the Russian population that insists on resurrecting him. And currently, that segment is led by Vladimir Putin.

*. *. *

Many cities throughout the world have excellent mass-transit systems. But the Moscow Metro is famous — not only for the depth of its stations, which served as air raid shelters during World War II — but for the opulence of some of those stations, which have been described as underground palaces.

Two of Moscow’s “Underground Palaces”

But recently, a new work of art — if it can indeed be called that — was installed in the central Taganskaya Station: a life-size statue of Stalin, titled “The Gratitude of the People to Leader-Commander,” surrounded by a bevy of his adoring subjects.

It is said to be a gift to the people of Moscow from the city’s metro system to mark its 90th anniversary, and has been welcomed with joy by some passengers, as indicated by the red carnations placed at Stalin’s feet.

One woman said, “It’s excellent. History of art, culture, significance, beauty.” And a man added, “[It’s] the right decision. This is the history of our state.” [Ivor Bennett, Sky News, May 23, 2025.]

Others, of course, were less than thrilled. A lady named Svetlana opened up to a reporter: “What were they thinking?! How many died under his leadership? And suddenly he appears here, this bloodsucker. How is this possible?!” [Id.]

Another, a gentleman named Oleg, put it less emotionally: “We should remember and honour some of his deeds. But to put him like this is disrespectful. He did a lot of bad things for the Soviet people.” [Id.]

*. *. *

So why now, and why in such a central location?

Since Vladimir Putin’s ascension to the presidency, it seems that Stalin’s ghost has been cropping up in various parts of the country, on a smaller scale. This monstrosity, though, is the first of its size and prominence.

According to Yan Rachinsky, a human rights activist with the noted rights group Memorial:

“For the current government, the main thing is the state. The state is sacred, the state is above everything, the state is infallible. That is why criticism of Stalin is constantly decreasing. Putin’s old statement that one should be proud of history — that’s it. Everything that prevents us from being proud of history fades into the shadows.” [Id.]

I would add to that. In addition to the belief in the infallibility of the state, I see a return to the Soviet “cult of personality” — the unquestioned authority of, and messianic devotion to, the leader of the all-powerful state.

And that leader, in this case, is Vladimir Putin.

The king is dead; long live the king.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/29/25