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Dina KhapaevaDina Khapaeva, a professor in the School of Modern Languages at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the January 13 Voice of America article, “It’s Back to the Future in Run-up to Russian Elections.” The School of Modern Languages is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
Excerpt:
Last October, the government endorsed the country's first-ever monument to Ivan the Terrible, with the unveiling in the city of Orel of a statue to the 16th-century czar who expanded Russia but at great human cost. Ivan the Terrible is reputed to have killed one of his sons during a rage.
The official lionization of historical despots feeds into an embrace of anti-democratic values, according to academic Dina Khapaeva, professor of Russian at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She noted in an article for Project Syndicate, a nonprofit that distributes commentary, that Russian officials have even spoken approvingly of Russian serfdom, which "complements the desire for a return to autocracy."
"No wonder, then, that monuments to Stalin, too, are multiplying in Russian cities," she said.
For the full article, visit Voice of America website.
