Of Political Icons And Vandalism: A View From History

Such is the power of images that portraits of national leaders have assumed lives of their own in the present—to idealise, idolise, hammer, decapitate, replace, recolour and resurrect with changing socio-political proclivities, ideologies, and interests. Kings, emperors and pharaohs of ancient and medieval times have been replaced by modern-day political leaders, freedom fighters and nationalists […]

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Stalin’s New Clothes

The build-up to this year’s Victory Day celebration has coincided with a Stalinist renaissance of sorts. Against the backdrop of the crisis in neighboring Ukraine, a state-sponsored effort to fan patriotic sentiment in Russia has brought about a reassessment of the dictator’s contribution to its history. In Moscow, bookshops are filled with volumes casting a […]

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