Mart Laar blog

One of the most important novelists in Russia in XX century Alexander Solzhenitsyn, is dead. Through his own and other victims accounts of the communist terror  Solzhenitsyn’s novels and nonfiction works exposed the secret history of the communist system that enslaved millions. Beginning with the 1962 short novel “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,” Solzhenitsyn devoted himself to describing the evils of communism. His “Gulag Archipelago” trilogy of the 1970s shocked Western readers by describing the savagery of the Soviet system, helping to erase sympathy for the Soviet Union among many leftist intellectuals. He did not compromise, he told the truth and expected other to do the same. For this and for his “ethical force” Solzhenitsy was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1974 he was arrested on a treason charge and expelled to West in handcuffs. Living in America Solzhenitsyn tried to encourage West to fight the evil system of communism, but became more and more disappointed by Western moral relatevism. His criticizm Western culture for what he considered its weakness and decadence did not win him friends here either.  

After a triumphant return from exile in 1994 after collapse of communism Solzhenitsyn expressed annoyance and disappointment that most Russians hadn’t read his books. He was right: when Russians have done it, they have really condemned communism and build probably better Russia. Solzhenitsyn was ofcourse man with contradictions. As another famous Russian novelist Dostojevsky he was firm Russian nationalist and devoted Orthodox, condemning in harsh words by example independence of Ukraine. His role in fall of communism, his courage and moral stand make nevertheless from him one of the greatest Russians in history. 

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs attacked furiously President George Bush, who in his proclamation on Captive Nations Week said  that “In the 20th century, the evils of Soviet communism and Nazi fascism were defeated and freedom spread around the world as new democracies emerged”. Russia said that had insulted veterans of World War Two by equating the evils of Soviet communism with Nazi fascism. Ministry was specially angry that by their statement Bush had coupled Nazi fascism and Soviet communism as “a single evil” and thus “hurt the hearts” of World War Two veterans in Russia and allied countries, including the United States. “While condemning the abuse of power and unjustified severity of the Soviet regime’s internal policies, we nevertheless can neither treat indifferently attempts to equate Communism and Nazism nor agree that they were inspired by the same ideas and aims,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Actually the Bush statement is correct – there is really no big difference between Hitler Germany and Stalin Russia. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not want to rememeber, that Hitler did not launch II World War alone, but in close cooperation with Stalin via Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. The first free major campaigns of the war were Hitler’s attack against Poland 01.09.1939, Stalin’s attack against Poland 17.09.1939 and Stalins agression against Finland on the same year. One third of the all War – 1939-1941 – Stalin was most devoted supporter of Hitler – without Stalin’s help there has been no chance for Hitler to conquer most of Europe. Talking on the really large sacrificies of Russian people afterwards to fight down their former ally, the way how communist and nazis started this terrible war must be also remembered.

Last week European Union decided to lift sanctions against Cuban communistic regime, hoping probably so to encourage communist leaders to introduce democratic reforms. Such tactics has never worked with communists. They understand such gestures only as a signal, that they can do whatever they like. They demonstrated this faster as anybody expected. On the morning of Friday, June 20, former political prisoner and opposition leader Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez,” his wife, human rights activist Iris Pérez Aguilera, and other opposition activists from various regions of Cuba were violently arrested by political police forces in the Versailles neighborhood in the city of Matanzas. The Cuban Democratic Directorate calls on international public opinion, especially on the European Union’s member states who eliminated diplomatic sanctions against the Raúl Castro regime, to condemn this human rights violation committed against Cuban citizens peacefully demanding respect for their rights. More information on situation in Cuba on www.communistcrimes.org

I am happy to announce, that the new web-page for investigation of communist crimes has been opened www.communistcrimes.org. The Foundation for the Investigation of Communist Crimes (FICC) was established on April 2008. The main priority of the Foundation is to inform the general public of the crimes committed by Communist/Socialist regimes in the name of Communist utopia. The Foundation’s webpage serves as a multilevel database and interactive portal providing easier access to various subjects related to Communist regimes, Communist ideology and post-Communist studies.

Besides dissemination and international research activities, the FICC promotes social, educational, advisory programs and specific projects developed with the support of institutional and private-sector partners around the world. The Foundation takes measures to publicize and memorialize the crimes of former and contemporary Communist regimes. With a series of programs and projects, the Foundation seeks to raise awareness of Communist crimes and support the democratic opposition of the last remaining Communist regimes, transitional societies and post-Communist states.

Over the last 15 years, many former Communist and Socialist states have debated their Communist past and established parliamentary and academic committees or commissions, research institutes or independent groups to investigate the crimes of the past, without an immediate purpose of organizing trials, but to establish and acknowledge facts about their past. Such truth commissions have assessed evidence and put together authoritative accounts of the Communist past.

Knowledge about the events of history and the recent pammediate purpose of organizing trials, but to establish and acknowledge facts about their past. Such truth commissions have assessed evidence and put together authoritative accounts of the Communist past.st is vital, as it constitutes a factual basis for open debate on the protection of natural liberties and the responsibilities of the political community. Common acknowledgement of historical facts has been and shall be a precondition for liberty. These facts, however, cannot be established without an open discussion on past events and injustices.

Post-Communist states willing to deal with political responsibility for past abuses must also decide on lustration, rehabilitation, compensation and the reassessment of history. But reconciliation with the past is not only a matter for state institutions, legislation, courts or truth commissions. The large amount of existing Communist crimes research must be brought to light and the public message conveyed more clearly. State-funded institutes, committees and commissions are conducting inquiries, exhaustive studies and archive research, but are often unfit to disseminate their conclusions. In this view, the FICC’s mission is to spread existing knowledge and make a difference in global awareness and understanding of Communism.