"Let Everyone Know"
So much for Vladimir Putin's having recently made noises about rehabilitating Stalin's reputation in the greater interests of re-informing Russians about their glorious past in the context of the powerful outreach of the Soviet Union. All of a sudden things have changed. Events occurred that have done a turn toward finality. And in the process revealed that there does not, actually, appear to be that much 'synergy' between Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev.They do not sing out of the same hymnal. Although nothing appears to have surfaced publicly that would have them at one another's eyeballs, Mr. Medvedev does, on occasion, take another direction than does Mr. Putin. Which is refreshing. Mr. Medvedev does not share Mr. Putin's KGB background. Mr. Putin does not have the Western-oriented perspective and sensibilities that Mr. Medvedev appears to share.
In many instances they do not seem that far apart, but in others they do. But then, isn't that really positive? Together they produce a nice balancing act. Mr. Medvedev seems content to do his job as resolutely and honestly as he can. Mr. Putin is, as always, busy being the strongman; governing in short, the way that Russians can understand and have always respected.
Mere weeks after the Polish president and 95 other Poles perished in a plane crash en route to a memorial ceremony at Katyn, files have been released to the public by President Medvedev that demonstrate positively the fact that Josef Stalin himself, the supreme dictator on whose head lies the death of millions of citizens of the former Soviet Union, signed the orders to conduct the massacres of Polish intelligentsia and military.
For a half-century the fiction that Nazi Germany was responsible for the slaughter of Poles at Katyn Forest, and other locations was staunchly upheld. Finally in 1990 the truth was revealed, but no criminal investigation ever undertaken. Until the posting of the Katyn files this month, which included the death warrant which Stalin signed.
"Let everyone know what was done, who made the decisions, who ordered the elimination of the Polish officers", said Mr. Medvedev, insisting that Russia was as open as it could be, now, on the matter. "Everything is written there, with all the signatures. there is some material that has not yet been handed over to our Polish partners. I have given the order to make that happen."
Not to be overlooked also, and to his credit, Prime Minister Putin expressed his sincere sorrow and solidarity with Poland. The breakthrough. The potential for establishing trust between neighbours with a long, unfortunate and tumultuous history between them.
A tradition of hegemonic hostilities that may finally be laid to rest.
Labels: Human Relations, Human Rights, Political Realities, Russia
posted by Pieface @ Friday, April 30, 2010
<< Home