Statement made by the regional „Memorial“ organizations
The political development in Russia is going into a direction, which incessantly takes a turn back to the past. The empire is claiming new victims. And the new politicians of the 21st century announce reforms based on thoughts and political ideas which, in actual fact, do not prove to be new at all. The dead people of the 20th century seize us by the scruff of the neck and drag us over the floor back to millions of innocent victims, millions of cripples and hard fates, millions of faded dreams.
Public prosecutor Ustinov makes the proposal to establish by law an institution for the giving of hostages– an idea corresponding to the practice used by the Cheka until the moment, when the NKVD had finally completed the whole scene with regard to family members of traitors of their country. The public prosecutor’s ideas to simplify the legal proceedings in case of terrorist actions do not represent any innovation, either: this kind of “investigation” has already been introduced with effect from the 1st of December 1934, just a few hours after the assassination of Kirov.
Within the process of transforming privileges into cash payments, important fragments were removed and completely eliminated from the Russian Federal Law of the Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Reprisals without any substitution - fragments defining injustice which, which cannot be made up for by money: the State refuses to acknowledge any mental damage caused to the victims of political reprisals.
In view of this background, however, B. Gryzlov’s appeal about a change in people’s attitude towards Stalin does not arise any astonishment. He calls the crimes of the Stalin era merely “rough patches”. These words are typical!
He was no blood-thirsty tyrant, who did not care for his people at all, on the contrary – he was quite an “extraordinary man”, who did absolutely right in acting the way he did, in spite of all these “rough patches”. Today’s State authorities demonstrate the same deep contempt towards the people by permanently canting, by being unsincere, by manipulating the masses and step by step familiarizing them with the inevitable choice of a “strong hand” and the “control of order”.
It looks as if the only cement available in Russia is the blood of its fellow-citizens. And the more blood is being shed, the more firm the building of this great empire will stand, an empire which is forced on us again and again by the masters of new life.
Go ahead and act now, Mr. Gryzov. Wipe away the “rough patches” and all the blood from the Stalinist machinery of the dialogue of the State with the Russian people and set it going. But do not forget that each bone-breaking machine once used to spread terror, will sooner or later break the bones of its originator, as well.
Komi Human Rights Organization “Memorial”, Igor Sazhin
Krasnoyarsk “Memorial” Organization, Aleksey Babiy
“Memorial” Voronezh, Viacheslav Bityutskiy
“Memorial” Novosibirsk, Leonid Trus