Neo-Stalinism or "commercial interests"?

Recently, a tendency has begun to appear, if not to rehabilitate, then at least to romanticize the "Stalin" period in the history of the USSR.

In the spring of 2003, the publishing house "Ad Marginem" began to republish the "Atlantis" series, which included Soviet detectives of the 50-70s. Some of them are typical literature of the period of spy mania - with "pests" and "enemies of the people". This was reported by the "Weekly Magazine" (Some like it hot, April 2003). The plans of the publishing house caused bewilderment among many observers. In particular, one of the programs of Alexander Arkhangelsky "Meanwhile" was devoted to this very issue. In it, for example, the opinion was expressed that the very fact of reprinting such literature contributes, if not to the rehabilitation of the period of mass repressions, then to the creation of its romantic image. However, representatives of the publishing house denied any ideological motives in their actions, motivating the publication of the series solely by commercial interests.

In the article by Alexander Bovin "People in uniforms among people of politics" (NG. August 29), with reference to the newspaper "Siberian Courier", it was reported that the governor of the Ulyanovsk region, General Vladimir Shamanov, ordered the officials of the regional administration "to buy Karpov's book" Generalissimo without fail " and read it . " The term of execution for the deputies of the governor was determined until June 1, for the heads of districts and cities of the region - until June 10 (this book, written in the late Soviet period, is an attempt to rehabilitate I.V. Stalin as an outstanding statesman, and with clearly expressed anti-Semitic overtones ). However, the authors of The Siberian Courier put forward a version that the reason for such an order could be not so much the ideological sympathies of the governor (although, of course, it was not without them), but Vladimir Shamanov’s personal friendship with the author and the desire to help the latter in the implementation of the book.

On September 10, Literaturnaya Gazeta published an article by Valery Burt entitled "Stigma", in which an attempt was made to rehabilitate Lydia Timashuk, a doctor in the Kremlin hospital that initiated the 1953 "doctors-wreckers" case. Based on the materials provided by the son of L. Timashuk, the author tries to show that the heroine of his essay was not a scammer at all. She only honestly fulfilled her professional duty, for several years informing the party and investigative (and not medical) bodies about the mistakes of colleagues working with her. The only goal of L. Timashuk, according to the author, was to take care of the health and quality treatment of "state patients". V. Burt believes that the only fault of L. Timashuk was that she did not find the courage to refuse the Order of Lenin, which she was awarded as the initiator of the investigation.

Reviews of the series "Atlantis":

Sources

• 1. Expert. 2003. No. 26. //
• 2. Book showcase. 2003. No. 22. //
• Bovin Alexander. People in uniforms among the people of politics // NG. 2003. August 29.
• Burt Valery. Brand of Lydia Timashuk // LG. 2003. September 10-16. No. 37.