Seven Myths about 1937 that, Despite Available Evidence, All Too Many Still Believe In

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 31 – On the occasion of this year’s commemoration of the Memorial Day of Victims of Repression, Russian journalist Maksim Rychkov highlights seven myths about 1937 which reflect both the Stockholm syndrome into which the Russian people have fallen with their leaders and the ignorance of many in the West about both Stalinism and the Soviet system.

            In an article for the Most Media portal, the journalist lists the seven and then shows with careful documentation how each of them contributes to a situation in which many now remain willing to understate Stalin’s crimes and thus provide them with a justification for supporting him and his system (mostmedia.org/ru/posts/sem-mifov-vokrug-tridcat-sedmogo).

            The reasons he gives for rejecting these seven myths are or should be well-known both among Russians in the West, but what is especially striking is how many of these false notions about the past remain very much alive and are being cultivated and used by the Putin regime as it revives some of the most odious practices of the predceessorit admires.

            The seven myths are:

1.     There were repressions but they were limited in scope and time.

2.     Ordinary Soviet people weren’t touched by the repressions, only members of elites.

3.     The only real repressions were in 1937. Before and after that, there weren’t any serious enough to mention.

4.     Stalin didn’t know or at least didn’t know the extent of the repressions.

5.     The repressions happened because Soviet citizen in massive numbers denounced one another.

6.     The 1930s were a terrible time in world history, and what Stalin did was no worse than what other leaders were doing.

7.     The repressions helped the USSR win World War II.

None of these is true, but all are widely accepted.