Best Russian Vote

The recent trend for countries to vote for their best citizen has reached Russia, which this week unveiled the results of their poll. First was Alexander Nevsky, a medieval commander who defeated invaders to retain Russia’s territorial and political integrity. Unfortunately for Alexander (and reforming Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin who came second), he has been largely overlooked in the Western press coverage by the amazement that Stalin came third. Joseph Stalin, dictator of Russia during the middle of the twentieth century, was responsible for the deaths of millions of people in prison-labour camps and because of deliberate starvation. However, while the West is appalled at the actions of Stalin, there remains in Russia a strong feeling that his leadership was good for the country.