600622 external_news 1515604515 1515604536 <![CDATA[Why Russia is Suddenly Eulogising its Past]]> Dina Khapaeva, professor in the School of Modern Languages at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the Gulf News, January 2, article, “Why Russia is Suddenly Eulogising its Past.” The School of Modern Languages is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

While much of the world is busy dismantling monuments that divide people, Russians are moving in the opposite direction, erecting statues to medieval warlords. Understanding this revival can shed light on the direction of Russia’s politics. Last October, with the endorsement of Russia’s culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, the country’s first-ever monument to Ivan the Terrible was unveiled in the city of Orel. A month later, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, called for Lenin Avenue in Moscow to be renamed Ivan the Terrible Highway. And in July of this year, President Vladimir Putin christened Moscow’s own tribute to the tyrant, declaring, erroneously, that “most likely, Ivan the Terrible never killed anyone, not even his son.”… Dina Khapaeva is Professor of Russian at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Modern Languages. Her most recent book is The Celebration of Death in Contemporary Culture.

For the full article, visit the Gulf News website.

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[]]> 2018-01-02 1281 1284