'In September 2007, late in what would have been President Vladimir Putin's final term had he not resolved to remain in power far longer, Mikhail Gorbachev warned against the rehabilitation of Josef Stalin, saying that the Soviet dictator's lethal heyday was being portrayed as a "golden era" – with dangerous, potentially disastrous consequences for Russia's future.
It was one of many warnings since the Soviet collapse, from Gorbachev and others, that Russia must reckon with the darker episodes of its past and examine the roots of its problems in the present -- not leave them buried or twist them for short-term political purposes -- if it is to have a brighter future.
"It is impossible to live in the present or build long-term plans for the future if the disease of forgetfulness afflicts the country and society, or at least certain sections of it," Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, told a forum at which another participant, Irina Shcherbakova of the rights group Memorial, said the Russian people were under "a massive attack aimed at revising our memory."
Still president today, Putin certainly seems to be building long-term plans for the future: An amended constitution that could keep him in the Kremlin until 2036 took effect on July 4 – a date that was not likely to have been coincidental, given the Russian state's recent penchant for tweaking, trolling, and thumbing its nose at America -- following a nationwide vote marred by widespread allegations of fraud.
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Another indication of the strength of the "siloviki" and the vulnerability of Russians who question Kremlin narratives about the past, present, and future may come with the verdict in the trial of Yury Dmitriyev, the head of Memorial in Karelia who has worked to expose crimes committed by the Soviets in the northwestern region.'
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The Week In Russia: A Rough Start To A New Era, July 10, 2020
Context(Russia) - 'The regime is now officially positioning itself as a dictatorship.' - Yulia Galyamina'The Kremlin’s confrontational stance towards the West is not a temporary matter..' - Maria Domanska'If Russia is to move forward, Pivovarov says, “we must cease to be Soviet people and overcome the Soviet in us.” ''..it will be critical for Russia's new leaders to eliminate the Chekist mindset.'(Ukraine) - '..now that they have started throwing off their Soviet past..'(Teal) - '..the old ways of social organization are proving to be increasingly ineffectual..'