Posted on 10/10/2004 11:05:36 AM PDT by FearGodNotMen
Belarus Unveils Memorial to KGB Founder Dzerzhinsky
MosNews
Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, criticized in the West for his authoritarian tendencies, presented the public with a new memorial to Soviet secret police founder Felix Dzerzhinsky at a ceremony in the Minsk region Thursday.
“The united principles and high aims established by our predecessors are a good foundation for strengthening ties between our special forces,” Interfax quoted the Belarus president as saying at the opening ceremony, held in Dzerzhinsky’s home town, now named Dzerzhinovo, where the memorial was erected.
Russia has forged close ties with the former Soviet state, now its closest economic partner among all the CIS states. Calling terrorism the “plague of the 21st century,” Lukashenko emphasized the fight against it as the number one priority in cooperation among special forces in the two countries.
“But what we build on that foundation, and how it works, will depend only on us, on our special forces.”
The president added that what his country was currently going through was similar to the hardships suffered by the country at the time of the creation of the secret police in the 1920’s. “It was created by a great man, Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky.”
Polish born revolutionary Felix Dzerzhinsky headed Soviet Russia’s first secret police, the CheKa (Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counterrevolution and Sabotage) in 1917. The CheKa was instrumental in suppressing counter-revolutionary activities and carrying out the Red Terror. It was the predecessor of the KGB and today’s FSB.
(You can take Putin out of the KGB but can you take the KGB out of Putin?)
______________________________
Not quite ...
The Ultimate Birthday Gift
The Mayor of Moscow is leading a campaign to resurrect a monument to the founder of the feared Soviet Secret Police: Felix Dzherzhinsky. The City Planning Committee meets tomorrow to discuss the proposal. As NPR's Lawrence Sheets reports from Moscow, Russian liberals are up in arms over the plans to rehabilitate a man they see as a ruthless murderer.
It was the middle of the night on August 22nd of 1991 and the shortlived coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev had just collapsed. Hundreds of anti-communist protestors cheered as cranes ripped the imposing 15-ton bronze monument to Felix Dzherzkinsky from its pedestal in front of KGB headquarters. It's a moment some saw as marking a symbolic end to the Soviet Era. One man watching the spectacle that night was "Valery Valitchko," a career KGB officer. Seeing his ideological godfather, Dzherzhinsky dangling from a giant noose made Valitchko's blood boil:
"We saw the column of marchers coming toward the building," Valitchko said. "Like other KGB officers, I was startled. My first impulse was to take up arms and fight." Now, KGB veterans like Valitchko may get symbolic retribution. Moscow's populist Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, is championing Felix Dzherzhinsky's rehabilitation. He wants the statue put back in front of the former KGB building, now home to Russia's FSB Security Services.
"The wave of protest of those times was aimed against the existing political order," Luzhkov says, "it wasn't aimed against Dzherzhinsky's monument," Luzhkov argues. Dzherzhinsky did good deeds, like ending homeless among Russian children after the October Revolution. He notes he helped build Russia's gigantic network of state railroads. But that logic shocks liberal Russian politicians like Boris Nemtsov.
"Everyone knows Dzherzhinsky was an executioner," Nemtsov says. "Upon his orders, millions of our compatriots were destroyed: women, children, priests and intellectuals." Nemtsov points out that Dzherzhinsky personally sanctioned unleashing terror against his anti-communists opponents. He also set up the first labor camps which later became part of the Gulag Archipelago. Nemtsov calls the idea to restore Dzherzhinsky's statue "an affront to the millions of victims of Stalinist terror."
But the idea is popular, even in relatively liberal Moscow, a majority of Russians say they want Dzherzhinsky back in front of the old KGB building. 45-year old Vladimir is strolling about the Moscow sculpture garden where Dzherzhinsky currently stands.
"Dzherzhinsky, along with Lenin and his team, helped to build a powerful state for over 70 years. They made it one of the great countries of the world," says Vladimir, "History is history and there's no way of getting away from it. Only time can be the judge," he says.
Pollster "Masha Volkenstein" says a yearning for the order of Soviet times helps explain the popularity of the campaign to rehabilitate Dzherzhinsky as does a desire by Russians to see their history in a more positive light.
"Also important is that a big part of the population don't know Dzherzhinsky. I mean, young people - they don't just, they don't have any idea who he was and what it is about."
President Vladimir Putin hasn't commented personally on the idea of rehabilitating Dzherzhinsky, although his administration expressed some muted concerns. But Putin opponents describe the idea by Mayor Luzhkov to put Dzherzhinsky's statue back in front of the FSB building as "the ultimate birthday gift" to Putin, himself a former KGB spy.
The Kremlin leader turned 50 years old today.
Lawrence Sheets, NPR News, Moscow.
This transcript included among the articles within: The Empire Strikes Back: Putin Cult Reaches New Levels
You are right. Thanks for the correction.
Okay :)
This is an interesting subject - what is going on in Russia and the areas around the nation - I also hope they don't turn back to the old ways but they do need to do something about outside influence - Just as I wish our government was more in tune about all the outside influences on this nation -
just my thoughts - take care now -
Surely you jest BTTT
It's a real shame that the person who posted this fabricated the idea that Vladamir Putin supported the evil past of Dzherzhinsky. "I have also heard that V. Putin has himself honored the bloody past of this evil man."
People should not invent and spread false facts to support their own biases. If the facts don't support your views, do you invent them? That would be very sloppy thinking, but when you spread false facts to an entire community, it reaches the level of grossly irresponsible. Let's be careful here. Discussion should revolve around real facts, not totally fabricated ones. Here's the real fact:
"President Vladimir Putin hasn't commented personally on the idea of rehabilitating Dzherzhinsky, although his administration expressed some muted concerns. "
My big toe hurts.
"President Vladimir Putin hasn't commented personally on the idea of rehabilitating Dzherzhinsky"
Perhaps Putin hasn't commented because he is in full approval. Not that big of a stretch when you consider his evil KGB pedigree.
BTW, I didn't say put proposed something similar...I said "I heard" it. Can you tell the difference? I put that out there to see if anyone had the 411 on what I HEARD. And lo and behold, someone did get back to me lightning quick. In fact, their post is what you're quoting from above!
Ping
It is a shame when a view is stated as fact - and I think the "media" of today leads the way for others - Mentality: Since they(media) do it so much, it must be okay -
My interest in Russia is over the "influences" - and this is because of what happened at the school.
Some years ago, from doing a school report on Poland - during the time of WWII - I came to dislike Russia but I realize times have changed and the people(rulers) have changed. However, I don't have all the information on Russia from that time period that I'd like. I was seeking information to compare the "times" - and to discover why the one leader had made the comment in the article -
As I said on another thread - I think it is too early yet to fully judge V.P. - The task he faces today is made much harder because of the war on terrorist -
I believe those people(the terrorist) will make it necessary to do things - that many will not like - but those are the times we live in today. If it takes a firm hand on Russia to get the upper hand on the terrorist - then why not - as long as the people are content with his(V.P.) rule -
If these people who talk down Russia want to really help people - they should turn their attention elsewhere - hundreds of thousands are being killed - radical muslims slaughtering Christians -
just my thoughts - take care
But then again, perhaps Putin/FSB are part of the problem and not the solution. The evidence against him and his FSB henchmen is growing rapidly.
http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/question_putin.htm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1240228/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1240451/posts
Thanks for the links -
But I think it will be years before anyone will know - one way or the other. This is one part of "history" that is consistent -
For example - The 1967 war of Israel - and the Arab nations. It wasn't until recent times that I learned of the actions of President Johnson - and the men who died because of what he did. Sadly, many still don't know -
It seems, that down through history, a lot is covered up by one nation or the other - for reasons that only become clear years after the fact.
We cannot judge today - what we will learn in the future -
just my thoughts -
Unfortunately, Belarus is resurecting this spawn of Satan. I wonder what that means for the rest of the country? Strike that...I already know what it means for Belarus.
Thanks for the post! You wouldn't happen to know of any information as to whether or not Putin approves of the mayors actions would you? So far, all I've been able to find out is that he is remaining silent on the issue.
Apparently so. Dherzhittsky was a stone cold killer, always the chief requisite for advancement in a cabal of cowardly thugs and goons. [The portrayal of his character in the most excellent TV series, Reilly Ace of Spies, was probably toned down for family audiences.] The salient question is whether Pooty Pooty's "message" is for internal or external consumption. In any case, we should return to the trust but verify mode in our dealings with Pooty Pooty. Which is too bad, really, since we have a lot of important interests in common with the Russkies these days.
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