A People Deprived of History Are Doomed!

Statement of the Presidium of the CC Communist Party of Russian Federation, NorthStarCompass, November 2005

The tide of unresolved problems in the Russian Federation is mounting. Presidential addresses speak of high mortality, inadmissible level of poverty and problems of childhood. But these words are not backed up by real deeds. Painful problems continue to multiply and deepen. Russia's present population had decreased by 340,000 in the first quarter of this year alone. It means that the annual drop in the size of the population will again be well over a million this year alone.

What have the authorities proposed to solve these problems? Where are effective measures to rectify the situation? Instead of an answer, the present regime is now openly engaging in uncovering graves. They deliberately seek to aggravate the situation in an already divided society. The President's envoy to the Central District, G. Poltavchenko, had publicly declared that the memorial in Red Square should be destroyed and that Lenin's body should be reburied.

The CPRF views Putin's envoy's blasphemous words as irresponsible and provocative and insulting the feelings of the citizens. It is challenging the history of the people and common sense. According to the latest public data of the Public Opinion Fund, supported by the present government, over 58% of Russians take a very positive view of Lenin's role in Russia and Soviet history and only 21% see it as negative — mainly in the cities of Moscow and Leningrad.

This statement by the Putin's envoy was another sign of immorality and cynicism. Apparently, due to the policy of this government, the slaughter in Chechnya where 120,000 people have died already is not enough for them. The tragedy at Beslan is also not enough. The blown-up houses and endless funeral processions seem also not enough. Now they are reaching with their dirty hands and with a befuddled head for the country's holy of holies, the Red Square, where more than four hundred heroes of the Great Soviet Era are resting.

In fact the inefficiency and inability of the bureaucrats to tackle the problems that are crying for solution is replaced by the fuss around topics that are taboo for normal people. Tempering with the remains of the dead is a grave sin and manifestation of a pathological psyche. People with such a notion of state interests have no right to occupy high government posts or be parliamentary deputies.

Those who have forgotten elementary truth may be reminded that Lenin's body is resting 6 meters underground, in full accordance of Russia and accepted by most countries. The decision of laying Lenin's body to rest in the Mausoleum was taker by the Soviet supreme body of state power and a collective will of the people — the All Union Congress of the Soviets. The Lenin Mausoleum had been put on a list of the worlds monuments protected by UNESCO!

All of this lends a particularly egregious character to the latest attack on the conscience of the nation and the memory of V.I. Lenin. This statement of course was made with the full approval of Putin and his regime.

This is just another part of many provocative acts by the present government. They are promoting a posthumous execution of Lenin, whose name and cause inspired the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War, the conquerors of outer space and the builders of a powerful state.

The actions of these home grown falsifiers of history are in line with the logic of Western falsifiers. The increased activities of the reactionary forces have led to an attempt to stage a show trial of Communism at the Russian Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Although this provocation has failed, a whole chain of destructive actions is discernible. All of this has already given a signal to the resurgence of neo-Nazis in the Baltics and the followers of the Bandera in Ukraine and in other former Soviet republics

GENNADY ZYUGANOV
Chairman of the CPRF

COMMENT

We have shortened this statement by the CPRF for space reasons only. We do not usually publish CPRF statements, but this was deemed necessary. Mr. Zyuganov somehow cannot bring himself to mention the name of Stalin at all — as if he did not exist or did not lead the Soviet people in defeating Nazism and saving the world from fascism! You, Mr. Zyuganov should remember the Great Patriotic War, and the cry that was on the lips of the Commissars-Communists as they charged into battle?