On Nocturnal Statue Removals

A statue of Joseph Stalin has been removed from its perch overnight (the short report follows). For those interested in the subject, I recommend this more extensive article published by the BBC, which outlines similar dictator-removal acts. I am all for the removal of dictatorial statues and symbols, but I think these nighttime removals are a bit sneaky, and don't really help install confidence in local politics. Covering up a video camera, doing the removal under a tarp or stopping by at 3 a.m. with a few pulleys and chains in itself suggests an authoritarian or paternalistic stance toward memory. It almost seems as if the state is telling the people, "we don't trust you, so we have to take matters into our own hands." These removals also beg the question, "what happens to these objects once they are removed?" Where are they stored? Who will see them, if anyone? What will replace these statues? How will these replacement objects be received?

I am reminded of a recent article from the Spanish press on the work of Fernando Sánchez Castillo (Madrid, 1970), who created several pieces on the Francoist legacy now showing as part of the PhotoEspaña exhibit. The pieces include 3 photographs, a video and a spinning head of Francisco Franco. In the article, Sánchez Castillo spoke of the difficulties he encountered when hoping to gain access to remnants of the Franco era. In 2002, the artist began a project - really, a sort of campaign -- that involved having several blind friends visit and touch statues of the dictator that had been removed upon the passage of the Law of Historical Memory (2007). However, only one government authority - the Barcelona city  hall -- granted him permission to peruse the dictatorship storage unit. As the artist put it, the challenges he faced show that "we still have a serious problem with our history: we don't know what to do with it."

Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Tactic, 2010. Courtesy of the artist and Juana de Aizpuru Gallery. © Fernando Sánchez Castillo

From: The New York Times

June 25, 2010
Statue of Stalin Removed from His Birthplace
By ELLEN BARRY

MOSCOW — Citizens in the Georgian city of Gori, the birthplace of Stalin, woke on Friday to discover that a towering statue of the dictator erected 48 years ago had been removed from the central square during the night, in another potent symbol of Georgia’s rejection of its Soviet legacy.

Georgian authorities took the statue down under conditions of complete secrecy, temporarily blocking the lens of a closed-caption camera that offers a live video feed from the square, according to the online news service civil.ge.

The city was badly battered by Russian bombing raids during the 2008 war, and officials said they would replace the statue with a monument to victims of Russian aggression. Still, the move is likely to anger some in Gori, which vigorously capitalized on its status as Stalin’s birthplace throughout the Soviet era and still offers a range of exhibits and impersonators to nostalgic tourists.

Mass Grave Discovered, probably from Stalin era

From: The New York Times

World Briefing | EUROPE
Russia: Workers Find Mass Grave
By REUTERS
Published: June 9, 2010

Workmen building a road outside of Vladivostok discovered a mass grave with at least 495 skeletons, probably dating to Stalin’s purges in the 1930s, municipal authorities said Wednesday. At least 3 ½ tons of bones were extracted from the site, the city government said. Many of the skulls had gunshot wounds. Millions of Soviet citizens were executed or died in labor camps during Stalin’s rule.

130th Birthday of Joseph Stalin - "Let's remember the good times"

The "money quote" from this tidbit is the final line. Wow. You can't get much more blatant than that when talking about amnesia and politics. Now might be the time to mention that this sort of request to forget does not just involve erasing the sins of former dictators, but also, those of former democratic leaders. Amnesia is an ideologically-neutral practice (not sure if "practice" is the right word here, but it will do for now).

From: The New York Times
Russia: A Celebration of Stalin
by Clifford J. Levy
published December 21, 2009

The Communist Party celebrated the 130th birthday of Joseph Stalin on Monday with an appeal for people not to bring up the more unseemly aspects of his record. Stalin is a polarizing figure in Russia, still popular for winning World War II and industrializing the Soviet Union while reviled for the purges that killed or displaced millions of people. On Monday, the Communists sought to focus on the achievements, lining up in Red Square to lay flowers on his grave, above. “We would like very much on this day for the discussion about any mistakes of the Stalin era to stop, so that people can reflect on the personality of Stalin as a creator, thinker and patriot,” said Ivan Melnikov, a senior party official.