Looks like they’re changing Volgograd back to its original name of Stalingrad in remembrance of the Russian turning point of WW2.
Here’s an old joke on the topic of re-naming things connected with Stalin’s regime. Sometime in the 1970s, an elderly veteran of the Red Army is interviewed as part of the annual May Day parade. Asked to talk about the medals he wears, he points to some of them and says, “These decorations were awarded to me for my service in the great Battle of Volgograd, our heroic victory against the fascist invaders. I’m especially proud of this particular one here – it was presented to me by Comrade Volgin himself!”
Thanks MistuhJay for sharing an interesting story, and Marc for the funny anecdote.
It’s important to distinguish between the memory of the battle and the memory of the dictator, which according to the link, not everybody is able to do. A good illustration from Western Europe is that the Paris subway station “Stalingrad” has retained its name to this very day. But Amsterdam’s “Stalinlaan” (Stalin Road) was renamed to “Vrijheidslaan” (Freedom Road) in 1956 after the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Churchilllaan and Rooseveltlaan are still in existence, of course.
@Herr:
Thanks MistuhJay for sharing an interesting story, and Marc for the funny anecdote.
It’s important to distinguish between the memory of the battle and the memory of the dictator, which according to the link, not everybody is able to do. A good illustration from Western Europe is that the Paris subway station “Stalingrad” has retained its name to this very day. But Amsterdam’s “Stalinlaan” (Stalin Road) was renamed to “Vrijheidslaan” (Freedom Road) in 1956 after the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Churchilllaan and Rooseveltlaan are still in existence, of course.
Are there a lot of drunks on Churchillan road?
No matter how bad Stalin treated his own people, he drove them to industrialization, which I see as a good thing. The fiefdom of the Czar’s was holding Russia back. I guess you can get into hairy territory for the good vs. bad, but I think he prevented them from speaking German.
Are there a lot of drunks on Churchillan road?
LOL…. not that I know of. It seems like a peaceful residential area. It’s “Churchilllaan” btw… three l’s in a row, from Churchill + laan, “laan” being a Dutch word for a somewhat classy road in an urban area.
On a side note, in 1940 the Germans entered Amsterdam by what would later be renamed “Churchilllaan”. So did the Canadians in 1945.
