In Kabardino-Balkaria, villagers open monument to Joseph Stalin (+video)

On May 9, the monument to Joseph Stalin in the form of a bust was opened in the village of Ozrek of the Lesken District of Kabardino-Balkaria. Residents of the republic interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have expressed different opinions on the occasion of the initiative. Many of the people considered the initiative to by symptomatic for the situation in the country.

According to organizers of the event, the ceremony of opening of the monument, held on May 9, was attended by about 400 people, including local residents and guests who came from Nalchik and Vladikavkaz. The idea to erect a monument to Joseph Stalin was initiated by members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), natives of the village of Ozrek. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" by Zalimkhan Shekhinaev, a member of the CPRF.

According to Zalimkhan Shekhinaev, the decision to erect the monument was made at the village gathering, when 70% of villagers had supported the initiative. The session of deputies of local self-administration has issued a permission to erect the bust and allocated for that purpose the alley next to the local memorial honouring victims of World War II.

Zalimkhan Shekhinaev has noted that at present, the Joseph Stalin's bust in the village of Ozrek is the only monument to Joseph Stalin in the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria. In North Ossetia, at least six monuments to Joseph Stalin have already been opened. The CPRF member believes that despite the ambiguity of the figure of Joseph Stalin, he was a great state figure.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.