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clashing narratives

Russia Claims Soviet Army ’Liberated,’ Not Invaded, Poland During WWII

The comment comes amid mutual recriminations between Moscow and Warsaw over who started World War II.

complicated legacy

New Russian Monuments to Soviet Secret Police Founder Spark Controversy

Reactions to the unveilings of Felix Dzerzhinsky's monuments reflect a deep split in Russian attitudes toward its Soviet past.

COMPLICATED LEGACY

‘It Was All for Nothing’: Russia Marks August Coup With Regret, Indifference

Thirty years on, The Moscow Times spoke to surviving participants in events that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and birth of a new Russia.

Iran Slams Russian-British Recreation of Iconic Tehran Conference Photo

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has reportedly summoned the Russian Ambassador to protest the photo op.

Oleg Baklanov, Last Soviet Coup Plotter, Dies

Baklanov was one of a group of hardline communists unhappy with Gorbachev's liberal reforms who led an unsuccessful coup attempt in August 1991.

post-soviet perspectives

Russians, Ukrainians Split on Views of Stalin – Poll

“Respect, indifference and sympathy toward Stalin prevail in Russia, while among Ukrainians it’s indifference and negative feelings.”

COLLECTIVE TRAUMA

Putin Urges Russia-Europe Cooperation in Essay on WWII Anniversary

The essay in German newspaper Die Zeit marks the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.

unmarked burials

Archeologists Find New Pits at Stalin-Era Moscow Mass Grave

Archeologists have discovered 47 additional pits at the site of the Kommunarka firing range, bringing the total to 134.

legislating history

Russian Lawmakers Seek to Ban Soviet-Nazi Comparisons

The proposed bill comes as the Kremlin shows renewed interest in the memory of World War II and revives its praise for Russia’s Soviet past.

The Museum of Russian Impressionism Celebrates 'Seekers of Art'

Who were the people collecting forbidden art during the Soviet period and what did they collect?

seeking justice

Lithuanian Court Extends Sentence for Ex-Soviet Tank Officer

Yuri Mel's sentence has been extended to 10 years over his role in a deadly military assault on Lithuania's independence bid in January 1991.

30th anniversary

Soviet Collapse Violated the People's Will, Gorbachev Says

The U.S.S.R.'s final leader defended a March 1991 referendum to preserve the Soviet system as "necessary and just."

‘IRON FELIX’

A Vote on Restoring a Secret Police Chief’s Statue Opens Old Wounds in Russia

Three decades after anti-communist protesters toppled the monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky outside the KGB’s headquarters, it could be set to return.

controversial monument

Moscow to Vote on Restoring Soviet Secret Police Founder’s Statue

The monument to “Iron” Felix Dzerzhinsky was removed from the KGB headquarters with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Russian Court Rejects Gulag Historian’s 13-Year Sentence Appeal

Supporters and human rights groups say Yury Dmitriyev's case is retaliation for his work in exposing Stalin-era executions.

legislating memory

Putin Seeks to Ban Nazi-Soviet Comparisons

The amendments would ban “publicly equating the role of the U.S.S.R. and Nazi Germany” in World War II.

Last Soviet Defense Minister Dies From Coronavirus – Reports

Yevgeny Shaposhnikov reportedly died due to the coronavirus at age 78.

returning the names

Stalin Victims Commemoration Moves Online Due to Coronavirus

Every Oct. 29, people gather at the former KGB headquarters to read the names, ages and professions of those who died in Stalin’s purges.

Veteran Russian Human Rights Leader Yury Orlov Dies at 96

Orlov founded the Moscow Helsinki Group, Russia's oldest human rights organization, with other Soviet dissidents in 1976.

Forever seventies

Soviet Classic Turns 50 at GUM AutoRally

Muscovites celebrate the beloved Zhiguli sedan.

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