Dictator Stalin as a saint?
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 9:07 am Under World News Alerts 8 views
The Orthodox Church in Russia is under growing pressure to make former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin a saint if he wins a popularity poll to nominate the greatest Russian in history.
The Communist party in St Petersburg has petitioned the Orthodox Church to canonise Stalin if he wins the poll for the ‘Name of Russia’ being conducted by the state-run Rossiya channel.
The Soviet leader, who was responsible for the deaths of around 15 million people during his 31-year dictatorial rule, is in second place in online voting that seeks to nominate the greatest Russian historical figure. But with months still left for the end of the polling, Russian Communists are determined to put Stalin on top.
Stalin has undergone a remarkable renaissance in recent years with opinion polls regularly naming him Russia’s greatest post-revolution leader after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
“By the end of the 21st century, icons of St Josef Stalin will be in every Orthodox Church,” said Sergei Malinkovich, the Communist party leader who is driving the Stalin canonisation campaign, was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph newspaper of Britain.
The London-based daily said the Communist leader’s resurgence owes much to the Kremlin, which under Putin’s presidency appeared to support a campaign to rehabilitate Stalin, with television documentaries, films and books released in recent years eulogising him.
The Russian strongman destroyed thousands of churches and sent tens of thousands of clerics to the gulags and their deaths. Despite the church’s reluctance, St Petersburg’s Communists are convinced their vision will come to pass. They have already commissioned religious icons depicting Stalin with a halo round his head that have reportedly sold very well around the city.
(PTI)
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
|
Loading ...
World News Alerts top stories
-
Pak bans umbrella group of Taliban militants
- This Category's RSS Feed
Pakistan today (August 25) banned an umbrella group of Taliban militants blamed for a wave... Read more »
Democrats poised to open Obama’s conventionDemocrats will launch a star-studded party in Denver to rally around Barack Obama’s... Read more »
Iran launches submarine production lineIran launches a submarine production line which the defence Minister says will ensure its... Read more »
Sharif names ex-judge as Pres candidateFormer Pakistan Prime Minister and PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif today (August 25) named former... Read more »
Ten dead in Guatemala air crashTen people died and four others were injured when a propeller aircraft crashed near El Puente,... Read more »
Something to say about this news story?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Headlines from World News Alerts
- OPEC oil Price continues to Slide
- EU ministers set for acrimonious talks on relaxing milk quotas
- Barack Obama, Democrats Should Rebuild Trust in Government
- Al-Qaida Leader Aazam Assaudi Killed
- India & China will increasingly rely on oil imports by 2030
- Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani Meets Nato Chief
- Govt Aware of Kids Rights Protection: President Asif Ali Zardari
- PM Gilani Condole Demise of Scholar, Filmmaker
- Qazi Hussain Ahmed Urges Govt To End US Cooperation
- Delegations arrive for Russia-Georgia talks in Geneva
Featured Video News
Advertisement
Advertisement
Email Subscription
Advertisement
Latest News In Piture
PESHAWAR: A major Al-Qaida leader... More »
