Kremlin archaeologists are accused of burying Stalin's atrocities

South China Morning Post ^ | Sep 13, 2018 | Agence France Presse

[CondoleezzaProtege]

In wooded northern Russia, near the Finnish border, archaeological digs by a patriotic historical group are unearthing controversy.

The Russian Military History Society, which was created by the Kremlin, says it is seeking the remains of Soviet soldiers who died when the region was occupied by Nazi-aligned Finns during World War II.

But human rights activists allege the organisation is trying to cover up Stalin-era repressions in the Sandarmokh forest, in Karelia.

“The search for the remains of soldiers from the Second World War on the site of mass executions by the NKVD...looks like an attempt to manipulate memory," Memorial [human rights group] said on its website.

It accused the history society of seeking to “hide the victims of the terror behind other victims”.

It is “unlikely” that Finns executed Soviet prisoners of war in Sandarmorkh, Memorial said.

Russia in recent years has seen an official trend to present Stalin’s rule in a positive light, while downplaying the repressions and forced collectivisation that killed millions.

Rights groups remain convinced these digs have a political element.

“For me, it’s clear the aim of these digs is to manipulate public opinion, it’s an attempt to cover up Stalinist crimes,” said Anatoly Razumov, a historian who specialises in the purges.

Razumov pointed to the 2016 arrest of his colleague Yury Dmitriyev, who researched Stalin-era mass graves in the region.

He was acquitted in April this year but then the local supreme court annulled the judgment and brought new charges.

“I fear they want to do with Sandarmokh what they did with Katyn,” said Razumov, referring to a forest near the Russian city of Smolensk where around 25,000 Polish soldiers were shot and buried in 1940 on Stalin’s orders.

Up to 1990, the USSR insisted the massacre was carried out by the Nazis.

[rrrod]

Im shocked!

[Nateman]

Stalin’s crimes we’re so massive that nobody is going to be able to cover them up.

[sickoflibs]

For those interested in this topic I suggest you see the US -made pro-USSR propaganda films made around 1943

Category:American pro-Soviet propaganda films

The North Star (US 1943 film) got edited in 1957 to remove the Soviet worship screens and renamed Armored Attack

Mission to Moscow ( 1943 US film) is unbelievable propaganda

[morphing libertarian]

1943 is in the context of the worst war in history against a genocidal maniac. The enemy or our enemies is our friend.

[ClearCase_guy]

"If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons."
-- Winston Churchill to his personal secretary John Colville the evening before Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

[CrazyIvan]

“If only one man dies, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.”

[robowombat]

Since the Soviet Union was both attacked by Germany and was finally completely victorious Russians have a lot of resistance to coming to grips with the crimes of the Stalin era. Putin is of course playing on this as part of a campaign of boosting national pride. Russia has a dark history, it simply does, and Russians are very thin skinned about this. Stalin was just the greatest of mass murdering leaders and like Peter the Great is seen as a progressive force that lifted the USSR into the ranks of the super powers. The human costs of this are part of the nation's guilty conscience.

[sickoflibs]

RE:”1943 is in the context of the worst war in history against a genocidal maniac. The enemy or our enemies is our friend.”

Total government propaganda.

No wonder Hollywood was under fire in the 1950s for being communist.

Well the Eastern European countries didn't have war under Soviet Slavery

[morphing libertarian]

LOL wars are full of propaganda to ratchet up hatred of the enemy. Old tact nothing to do with communism or stalin goes back 3,000 years with wars in the middle east. “God is on our side, against the evil invaders.”

[morphing libertarian]

never saw that one. Thanx

[W.]

Gott mitt uns...

[JimRed]

It is “unlikely” that Finns executed Soviet prisoners of war in Sandarmorkh, Memorial said.

No need to execute them. Just stop feeding them.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

It is “unlikely” that Finns executed Soviet prisoners of war in Sandarmorkh, Memorial said.

No need to execute them. Just stop feeding them.

One of the most poignant stories I've read is of a Soviet prisoner exchange during the Finnish-Russian war...the Finnish prisoner returned to his countrymen greeted by cheers, beer, and food. The Soviet one was scolded by his 'comrades' for being stupid enough to get caught in the first place and punished with hard labor. He was treated worse in his own country than as a prisoner of Finland.

[Krosan]

Putin measures them primarily by the amount of land they brought under Moscow’s control. He doesn’t have fundamental problem with communism, but he criticizes Lenin for losing land and praises Stalin for bringing the Moscow’s Empire to the greatest size ever.