Zhang Shengfa
(№.6,2014)
Abstract: In February 2011, based on his own values and governing concept, Dmitry Medvedev, the then Russian President, approved a national project after criticizing Stalin for two consecutive years. This project was named as “A Permanent Memorial of Totalitarian Regime Victims and National Reconciliation”, which was called “de-Stalinization” by media and politicians. The main point of this project was to realize the modernization of Russian social consciousness by admitting the people’s tragedy during the totalitarian regime. The main contents and procedures are: establishing monuments for repressed victims in all large cities, building two national memorial halls in Moscow and St. Petersburg, publishing memorial books about repressed victims and unified information base for them and setting up social assistance mechanisms for victims. Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, has no intention of completely denying the Soviet Period and Stalin’s historical status. The sharp opposing opinions of Russians on the de-Stalinization program and the historical arguments between Russia and foreign countries, especially the former Soviet bloc allies and former Soviet republics, have put this project in jeopardy.
Keywords:de-Stalinization;Dmitry Medvedev;Vladimir Putin;special federal program