A Stalin Center will be opened in the central Russian city of Penza by local Communist Party (KPRF) activists, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday.
Communists plan to host scientific conferences, public discussions and free movie screenings at the center.
“There are lots of falsifications and attacks on Stalin nowadays. We will actively promote facts and information about his era and personality,” local KPRF branch head Georgy Kamnev told Kommersant.
A photo exhibition — the first event at the center — will take place on Dec. 23. A conference on Stalin's legacy is to be hosted at the center on March 5, 2016.
Last week three Communist Party activists in the same city were fined 10,000 rubles ($150) each for laying flowers at a monument to Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. The court ruled they were guilty of organizing an unauthorized rally, the Interfax news agency reported.
The activists were detained after they placed flowers at the monument to mark Lenin's birthday on April 22.
In September, Penza's Communist Party placed a Stalin monument in their office courtyard. The monument resulted in public outrage — locals filed a petition to the mayor demanding the monument be removed. However, the local authorities failed to take action because the monument was on private property.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
