On July 2, 1937 Joseph Stalin signed a resolution "On the Anti-Soviet Elements" that had seen thousands of people being arrested and shot or sent to the camps in the next two years. The resolution ordered to arrest and sentence the most active "kulaks" and criminals in as little as 5 days. Modern Russia is divided between those who support Stalin as a leader (while acknowledging the atrocities of his repressive methods) and those who decry and denounce the Big Terror and pretty much anything associated with Stalin. The younger generation, however, lives in the age of Social Media and is considered to have little knowledge of the days bygone. To this end, the memorial date of the beginning of the Big Terror was marked with Social Media themed posters.
The reaction, as expected, was kind of ambiguous. The ambiguity rests in the fact that Social Media are also regarded by some as the methods of oppression and control, and coupling these services with Stalin only serves to solidify this view. More importantly, the idea was evidently to tell about the Big Terror in the most accessible way. The result is such that you're more inclined to grin at the wittiness of the team behind the posters. "Stalin is like YouTube: allowed to load and send" - this is more a parody on the unhappy parallels between then and now, than a reminder that history may repeat itself.
And what do you think? Leave your comments below or join a Facebook discussion.
1. Stalin is like Apple: He cost a lot
2. Stalin is like Facebook: He urged to share information
3. Stalin is like Foursquare: He showed each their place
4. Stalin is like Twitter: He spared words
5. Stalin is like vKontakte: He captured millions
6. Stalin is like Yandex: He sent queries
7. Stalin is like YouTube: He allowed to load and send
Julia Shuvalova
Author: Julia Shuvalova